ESPN: Aaron Judge seems to be faltering once more just when the Yankees need him most.
Aaron. Man, pick up the phone.
By many measures, the season was a success for the New York Yankees. A World Series berth and the top seed in the American League are no laughing matter. Death is even more agonizing when you’re that close to the pinnacle of glory. In the World Series, the Yankees were totally outmatched.
Why? There are a number of causes, but Aaron Judge is one of the main offenders. Judge is without a doubt one of the best hitters of his generation and was named American League MVP this week for the second time in his career. With 58 home runs and 144 RBI in 2024, the 32-year-old had the best season of his illustrious career. His slash line, which is.322/.458/.701, appears almost unreal. Although Judge is an unrivaled regular season weapon, the Yankees’ hopes are sadly behind the original 162-game schedule.
Judge is still trying to get that illusive ring from the World Series. His October stats were appalling:.184/.344/.408 with three home runs, nine RBI, and 20 strikeouts in 49 at-bats. Judge’s bat went cold for the entire month, but he was still able to draw walks at a healthy pace. This was a very perplexing development. It’s an odd feeling to watch a great hitter simply lose his swing, and Judge’s struggles in the postseason weren’t the first.
Judge is likely to get more opportunities, but if Juan Soto leaves, the Yankees run the risk of regressing this winter. Judge would ideally be instrumental in persuading Soto to re-sign, but here’s what the current AL MVP said on Friday regarding the matter.
Juan Soto is not being courted by Aaron Judge to return to the Yankees.
To a buddy, this is a commendable gesture, but it also… doesn’t make sense? What are we discussing here? Nowadays, Soto doesn’t get much room. He is receiving calls from front offices across the league, and when these meetings become more serious, you can guarantee that other players like Shohei Ohtani, Bryce Harper, Francisco Lindor, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will be involved in recruiting Soto.
Although there is no way to confirm Judge’s remarks—all of this may be smoke in our face—people started to believe that he was avoiding the inevitable Soto questions when he avoided the media immediately following his MVP proclamation. Judge ought to get in contact with Soto and pitch him on their chemistry and the distinct flavor of winning while wearing a Yankees uniform.
Winning as a Yankee has a historic significance that no other baseball team can equal. For those of us who aren’t Yankees fans, is that fair? That team has a unique place in baseball history, but not really. It is likely to be a baseball defining memory of the upcoming decade if Judge and Soto spend it tearing dingers in Yankee Stadium. In fifty years, will we still be discussing Soto joining a scrappy Blue Jays club in Toronto? Well, probably not.
That Judge (or Soto) abruptly stopped communicating after New York lost the World Series seems really strange. These are most likely buddies and teammates who spent the season together and loved each other’s company. Checking in and at least talking about free agency doesn’t sound like an inconvenience, but I’m not saying Judge needs to bombard Soto’s texts every morning with a Yankees emoji. That seems like standard procedure in these situations.
Judge wishes to be regarded as one of New York’s greatest of all time. Persuading Soto to stay would undoubtedly help him expand his resume.
