Sixteen games, no homers—it felt like an endless drought. Aaron Judge was struggling with a dry spell for what seemed forever, at least according to his standards. The man is known to make hitting home runs effortless, so even two games without a homer is out of the blue. But then, in a flash, Judge changed the narrative, and the entire dugout erupted with cheers. The Yankee captain had finally broken free of the dreaded slump, launching one over the fence against the Red Sox.
And just like that, Aaron Judge hence slashed the Paw Patrol curse that everyone thought was the cause for his slump! Although he seemed unfazed by the entire ordeal. In fact, he feigned ignorance to the fact that it had been 16 games since a homer. “I didn’t know that,” brushing off the slump. But it’s impossible to believe that a player of his caliber wouldn’t keep track. Judge may have downplayed the pressure he was under, but his teammates knew better. And they didn’t shy away from expressing it!
Aaron Judge ends his longest home-run slump
As the Yankees trailed 4-0 after the top of the seventh inning, Judge had the chance to turn the game around. And he came through, smashing a grand slam in the seventh inning off left-hander Cam Booser. Judge crushed the pitch for a grand slam and not only ended his 16-game homer drought but also gave the Yankees a 5-4 lead over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. It was Judge’s 52nd homer of the season, and as far as the slump goes, Judge completely was unfazed by it, at least on the surface.
The Yankee fans were anxious given that it was Judge’s longest career slump—no home run for 16 games! However, their Captain Cool was oblivious to the fact and denied even knowing that it’s been that long of a drought. Judge said, “Was it 16 games? I didn’t really know that. It’s just another day. I really don’t focus on hitting homers. I don’t focus on any of that. I’ve got a job to do.” But he also showed confidence, indicating that it doesn’t matter how many slumps he faces; he will always break them. “Sixteen games, I guess. Is that a lot? Is it not? I don’t know. It’s the most? It’ll probably be longer at some point in my career. So, I’ll definitely break that.”
While Judge may be hiding the pressure he was under, his statements were refuted by his teammate Clarke Schmidt. “He’s very aware of stuff like that, I think. I don’t know about that. You guys can decide for yourself,” said Schmidt with a smile. Well, Judge’s response to his slump may just be him moving past the hard times. After all, it’s classic Judge—calm and composed, and looking at what’s next.
Aaron Judge’s comeback at the right time!
Aaron Judge’s fall into the pressures at the right time is nothing new—this happened last year—so it was almost Déjà vu! But this time, he changed the narrative, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. His Grand Slam helped the New York Yankees get control of the American League East. Now the team is three games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles, marking their biggest division lead since June 14. This is exactly what the team was looking for at this point of the game, and they got it. Manager Boone never doubted Judge’s abilities in the first place.
USA Today via Reuters
When most questioned Aaron Judge and his probable comeback, Aaron Boone was cool as a cucumber. It was almost like he knew it was only a matter of time. So Judge’s grand slam proved him right. Plus, his performance energized the entire team and fans alike. Aaron Boone recalled saying, “Jazz [Chisholm Jr.] came up to me after Judge hit the homer. Just to see our dugout erupt, to see Yankee Stadium erupt, he was like, ‘This is pretty sick.’ That was one of those really cool regular-season moments you get at Yankee Stadium.
The crowd, meanwhile, was emptying their lungs with cheers of judge ending the desert-like drought. Plus, the shouts of M-V-P are something that couldn’t be ignored. Right now Aaron Judge is competing against Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. for the MVP crown. While the latter is having a phenomenal season, Judge tops the league in several key categories: WAR (9.5), adjusted OPS+ (215), on-base% (.453), and slugging% (.683).
