After captivating MLB fans with a historic 2022 campaign, Aaron Judge has struggled to find his swing in the early going in the American League Division Series against the Guardians.
The Yankees slugger, fresh off striking out in all three of his at-bats in a Game 1 win on Tuesday, continued his woes at the plate in Game 2 with a 0-for-5, four-strikeout effort in a 4–2 loss in extra innings at Yankee Stadium. According to ESPN, Friday’s outing marked Judge’s fourth four-strikeout game, setting a new mark for the most such games in MLB postseason history.
As if his uncharacteristic struggles weren’t enough, Judge, who sits atop the AL MVP race next to Angels star Shohei Ohtani, was on the receiving end of boos from Yankees fans after getting retired by former Yankees prospect Trevor Stephan in the bottom of the seventh inning. After the game, Judge didn’t appear to take the response too personally, telling reporters he wasn’t surprised by the reaction given how he’s played to start the series.
