Aaron Judge roared back to life on Sunday, leading the New York Yankees to a decisive 15-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. His bat exploded for a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, including a solo home run, three RBIs, and a walk.
He wasted no time setting the tone, launching a solo homer off Brewers starter Myers in the very first inning. This marked his sixth home run of the season, extending a streak of homering in back-to-back games and three times in the last five contests. This surge comes after a sluggish start to the year, but Judge’s current stat line reflects his improvement: .211 average, six home runs, 18 RBIs, 12 runs scored, and a stolen base in 29 games (109 at-bats).
Aaron Judge displayed his signature power once again. His second consecutive home run came on a crushing four-seamer from Tobias Myers on a full count, sending the ball a staggering 441 feet with an exit velocity of 115.9 mph. This feat further solidified his place among elite hitters, with only teammate Giancarlo Stanton surpassing him in such impressive displays of raw power since 2015 (26th time for Aaron Judge).
Is this the end to Aaron Judge’s early slump?
In the post-game interview following the Yankees‘ contest against the Brewers, manager Aaron Boone weighed in on Aaron Judge’s slow start to the 2024 campaign. While acknowledging Judge’s recent success, including his back-to-back games with a homer, Boone made it clear that higher expectations surround the superstar slugger.
“He’s doing well,” Boone conceded, “but you know we’re not there yet (in terms of where we know he can be).”
Given Aaron Judge’s prodigious talents and past accomplishments, the Yankees understandably have lofty standards for their marquee player. Boone conceded that the slugger had some really good at-bats last night, squaring up the ball repeatedly with authority and he expected to seeing more quality swings as the game progressed.
“So, um, look a, a bullet to start off the game and start off our scoring more good at bats as we went on all the way up to his last one where he smoked the ball the other way last night,” he said. “When I took him out, he smoked that double play ball, that one hopper bullet up the middle. So, um, getting more good swings off.”
Amidst the scrutiny surrounding his underwhelming start, Judge himself remains unfazed, exuding the quiet confidence that has defined his historic career. “I’m still Aaron Judge,” the slugger stated matter-of-factly. “That hasn’t changed.”
Aaron Judge’s recent surge suggests he’s overcome his earlier struggles. In April, he battled a slump, reflected in a .174/.308/.337 batting line, even facing criticism on his bobblehead day. These early struggles were likely a combination of factors, including random slumps and lingering effects from his spring training abdominal injury. However, his most recent stat line paints a much brighter picture: .198/.333/.425 with six homers, showcasing a clear upward trend.
His resurgence, coupled with the consistent performance of key off-season addition Juan Soto, bodes well for the Yankees’ offensive potential. As they chase the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead, Aaron Judge’s return to “vintage” form could be the spark needed to propel them to the top of the division.
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