The cheers have turned to silence at Yankee Stadium. Even Aaron Judge isn’t immune from criticism anymore.
The New York Yankees suffered their third straight shutout Tuesday night. The 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Angels extended their scoreless drought to 29 innings.
Manager Aaron Boone had specific words for his struggling captain after the game. The comments were measured but pointed.
“He probably left the zone a little more than he normally does,” Boone said of Judge’s plate discipline. “No one is more capable of getting right back on track than him.”
"No one more capable of getting right back on track than him"
Boone’s postgame assessment wasn’t harsh criticism. It wasn’t hollow praise either. The message landed somewhere in between.
Judge went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts Tuesday. He’s now struck out 15 times in seven games. His batting average has plummeted to .125 during this stretch.
Judge still leads Major League Baseball in several categories. His 1.209 OPS tops all players. He’s batting .372 and sits second in home runs with 26.
Recent performance matters most in New York. When the Yankees offense disappears and Judge leads the way, even he faces scrutiny.
The boos came twice Tuesday night. First in the sixth inning. Then again in the eighth. Yankee Stadium faithful weren’t booing greatness. They were expressing frustration with the absence.
Entire lineup struggling together
Judge’s slump reflects a broader team problem. The Yankees have managed just five runs in six games.
The team batting average sits at .164 during this stretch. Cody Bellinger has hit .152 over his last eight games. Paul Goldschmidt is batting .164 across 17 games.
Tuesday brought more of the same offensive futility. The Yankees went 0-for-10 with runners on base. They collected four hits in total. Only Bellinger’s early double reached extra bases.
“We’re not getting a lot of baserunners. We’re not causing traffic,” Bellinger said. “We’ve got to wake up tomorrow and get going.”
The offense provided no support once again. The Yankees managed threats in the first and ninth innings only. They went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
Their struggles in clutch situations have reached alarming levels. The Yankees are 1-for-26 with runners in scoring position over three games.
Yankees succumb to Angels starter, worst in MLB
Kyle Hendricks entered Tuesday with concerning statistics. He owned the second-worst ERA among qualified starters since 2024. His Stuff+ ranked worst among all starters this season.
The Yankees made him look like a Cy Young contender instead. Hendricks struck out nine batters over six shutout innings. His season-high strikeout total silenced the Bronx lineup.
The Angels bullpen continued the dominance. They didn’t allow a single hit after taking over.
Boone acknowledged his team might be pressing too hard for results.
“You want to be the guy to kind of get the hit, get it going,” the Yankees boss said. “That’s where the patience comes in. It’s got to be, ‘I’ve got to go take a tough at-bat.'”
Season numbers still elite despite slump
CBS
The Yankees maintain impressive season-long statistics despite recent struggles:
Runs scored: 370 (3rd in MLB)
Home runs: 109 (2nd in MLB)
On Base Percentage: .336 (2nd in MLB)
Slugging Percentage: .448 (2nd in MLB)
Team batting average: .253 (7th in MLB)
They scored six runs against the AL’s ERA leader just last week. Those numbers are quickly losing relevance with each scoreless inning.
The strong start to 2025 could disappear if this trend continues. July urgency might arrive ahead of schedule.
Lineup changes fail to spark Yankees offense
Boone shuffled Yankees batting order Tuesday night. Jasson Domínguez moved to the leadoff spot. Paul Goldschmidt dropped to sixth in the order.
The changes produced no positive results. The Angels continue playing inspired baseball while climbing the AL West standings.
Los Angeles sits just one game behind Texas. They trail the final Wild Card spot by two games.
Wednesday brings Jack Kochanowicz to the mound for the Angels. The right-hander carries a 3-8 record and a 5.53 ERA.
Another missed opportunity against struggling pitching could signal the Yankees’ crisis mode. Bellinger believes the team will respond.
“We’re going to fight like hell to get the job done tomorrow,” the Yankees OF said.
The Bronx awaits answers. Whether redemption or more silence depends on Wednesday’s outcome.
All the Yankee batters have expanded the strike zone on themselves. I know umpires each have their own designer strike zone and that does force batters to swing at non strikes. Plus do the Yankee scouts do a good job on opposing pitchers? I really thought Judge had itfigured out; .400+ avg through 3 months but now he is regressing. I’ll get clobbered for saying this yet Judge is not a great player. The sports writers expouse that line. But he is a good player probably the better of all MLB players these days next to Ohtani.
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All the Yankee batters have expanded the strike zone on themselves. I know umpires each have their own designer strike zone and that does force batters to swing at non strikes. Plus do the Yankee scouts do a good job on opposing pitchers? I really thought Judge had itfigured out; .400+ avg through 3 months but now he is regressing. I’ll get clobbered for saying this yet Judge is not a great player. The sports writers expouse that line. But he is a good player probably the better of all MLB players these days next to Ohtani.