If The Yankees Are Going To Pull Off a Comeback In The ALDS, Not Only Does Aaron Judge Need To Find The Big Swing, But SOMEBODY ELSE Has To Step Up

Mark Blinch. Getty Images.

Postseason baseball is a motherfucker. A few days ago the Yankees were celebrating a do or die Game 3 victory over their hated rivals the Boston Red Sox. Fast forward just four days later and the Yanks are being laughed at, now facing elimination at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. What was Toronto doing while Boston gave the Yankees all they could handle last week? Waiting. They had the bye after winning the AL East via tiebreaker over New York. The Yankees had their chances to win the division, but their poor play against the Jays wiped that away. They waited at home all week to then jump all over the Yankees and out-class them across the board. I shouldn't be this sad already. 

Toronto has outscored New York 23-8 over these first two games. It's been all one way traffic so far with Toronto's lineup firing on all cylinders. Vladdy, Springer, Varsho, Kirk, Clement, you name it. They've all been mashing. For the Yankees? You just got a bunch of guys looking at each other, waiting for someone to explode and light the fire. Well, we're on our last match.

Aaron Judge has lived with the narrative that he does not perform in the postseason the way he does in the regular season. It's not really a narrative anymore, it's fact. And yes, right now Judge is 8 for 18 in the postseason which is good for a .444 batting average and a 1.024 OPS. On the surface that looks phenomenal and years from now people may look to the 2025 playoffs as the year he quieted that "narrative." I don't think I'm being fair to say this is the same old Judge unfortunately. Of those eight hits, only one is an extra base hit —a one out double in Game 1 vs. Toronto while the team trailed 6-1 in the 8th. Everything else has been singles.  His clutch hit rate is second worst out of all division series batters. Judge's two hits yesterday came while the team trailed by 10+ runs. His one true big at bat of the series so far came with the bases loaded and nobody out, down 2-0 in the 6th. Judge struck out, chasing a pitch that was a ball the moment it left Gausman's hand. 

For me it has felt like Toronto has rode the momentum of that strikeout to this commanding 2-0 lead. That's the moment Judge can't perform in. Am I being too hard on him? Are there other culprits here? Yes, but if the Yankees are to ever win a World Series during the Judge era it will have to involve the MVP Judge swing coming through in those spots. They move as he does. 

Now let's be fair to Judge here, no one else is hitting. 

Cody Bellinger 4 for 19 (.659 OPS) 

Giancarlo Stanton 3 for 20 (.440 OPS) 

Jazz Chisholm Jr. 3 for 16 (.443 OPS) 

Trent Grisham 3 for 20 (.427 OPS) 

If those guys aren't going to hit and Judge isn't hitting for power then you really have no shot. They managed to get by the Sox mainly because their lineup isn't worth a damn, especially without Roman Anthony. Toronto won't give you that pass. They'll walk all over you. 

Let's try and spin this positively and give ourselves some faith to look towards. Oh it's just me here who is rooting for that? Alright, well do the Jays play worse on the road? Yes. 54-27 home vs. 40-41 road. Do the Yankees have the favorable pitching matchup in Game 3? Yes, Rodon over Bieber. If they win that game are they really in a good spot for Game 4? Yes, Cam Schlittler vs. bullpen game. Have we seen that anything can happen in a do or die postseason game? Yes. 

That's that hope right now, but the only way this turns around is if Judge becomes MVP Judge and some of the other supporting characters come alive. You cannot beat this Toronto team by digging yourself in giant holes. Has the pitching failed them as well? No question. Gil didn't give you much in Game 1. Luke Weaver has been brutal. Max Fried sucked in Game 2. Will Warren was just as bad (awful decision to go to Warren in the middle of an inning rather than a normal reliever). 

Just take it one inning at a time. They've been here before and found a way. It starts with getting to Bieber early. With a bullpen game the very next day, Toronto may punt Tuesday night if you give them good reason to. Let them hang around or even jump out to an early lead and you'll be joining Juan Soto in Aruba. Put up or shut up as they say. Last match left in the box to light the fire. Just fucking win a game. 

P.S. Seems like a good time for Stanton to break some necks again and wake everyone up.