The New York Yankees lost their ninth game in 13 contests on Thursday (TOR 2, NY 0). Captain Aaron Judge continued his worst slump of the season, going 0 for 4 with a strikeout and a double play.
Judge is 0 for 11 with eight strikeouts in his last three games. During the team's 4-9 stretch, he has hit just .191/.321/.298 with one home run.
"I'm not doing enough at the plate," Judge said via MLB.com. "... I wouldn't say we're not seeing the ball well. I think it's about making sure we're swinging at the right pitches."
Yankees Need Their Captain to Break Out
Judge is still having a strong season overall, slashing .250/.381/.554 with 16 home runs. However, his recent struggles are dragging down New York's offense, which has averaged only 3.15 runs per game during the 4-9 stretch.
"He's just going through it a little bit right now," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said via MLB.com. "Usually that means good things are coming on the other side. He's a little in-between. Fastballs got on him, and he was a little out in front of some other pitches."
Boone noted the issue appears timing-related, which is common among hitters going through slumps.
Why Judge Struggles Follow a Pattern
Almost every Judge slump looks the same. It's not because his contact quality suffers—few players hit the ball harder. Rather, his swing decisions fall out of whack. Judge gets jumpy at the plate and starts chasing pitches outside the zone.
Few players in the league see fewer pitchers in the strike zone, creating ample opportunities to chase. There is also a mechanical component: Judge tends to open up too early with his hips, putting him in a bad hitting position.
History Shows Breakout Is Coming
Prior to this 13-game rut, Judge was on a month-long warpath, hitting .299/.438/.684 with 13 home runs in 33 games. That mirrors his production from 2022-25, when he slashed .311/.439/.677 with three 50-homer MVP seasons.
You needn't look back far to see the last time Judge was the best hitter in baseball. This slump hasn't gone on that long, really.
With a hitter this talented, the slump can end at any moment. In each of the last three seasons, Judge has had a 13-game stretch with sub-.620 OPS. This is just baseball—the regular season is ups followed by downs followed by more ups.
Yankees Face Crucial Series Against Rays
The Yankees are reeling, and Judge is struggling. Those two things are very much related. New York needs their captain to right the ship soon, especially with the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays coming to Yankee Stadium for a three-game series this weekend.
"Anytime you've got a hot team coming in, it's going to make it tough," Judge said via MLB.com. "... The offense isn't too far off. You get a couple of timely hits, you get a couple of walks when you need it, and some good things are going to happen."