Baseball is a game of ups and downs, and Aaron Judge is currently in a slump. Despite this, Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn’t worried about his star player.
After the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Cubs on Sunday, a reporter pointed out that Judge hasn’t hit a home run in 12 games and asked Boone for his take. Boone admitted that the 32-year-old is struggling but remains confident that Judge will bounce back soon.
“He hit a couple of hard balls today… not much different, just missed a few pitches that he usually sends over the fence when he’s locked in,” Boone said. “It’s just a matter of one good at-bat, and he’ll get rolling again, hitting them in bunches. He’s close.”
Not long ago, Judge was on pace to hit 63 home runs, but that now seems unlikely. He’d need to hit 12 more in the last 19 games, a tough challenge even for someone of his caliber.
Judge’s recent struggles go beyond his power numbers. In his last 15 games, he’s slashing .208/.364/.434, which has also hurt his chances of overtaking Bobby Witt Jr. in the batting title race — a win that could have given Judge a triple crown.
As of August 21, Witt was batting .350 compared to Judge’s .334. While Witt has also cooled off, dropping to .336, Judge has slipped further to .321.
Although this slump has affected Judge’s personal stats, it could be well-timed for the team. The Yankees are clinging to a narrow half-game lead in the AL East, and if Judge finds his rhythm soon, it might provide the boost they need to hold their position.