The New York Yankees lost their ninth game in 13 contests on Thursday, and captain Aaron Judge is enduring his worst slump of the season. Judge went 0 for 4 with a strikeout and a double play, and is 0 for 11 with eight strikeouts in his last three games.
Current Struggles
During the team's 4-9 stretch, Judge has hit .191/.321/.298 with just one home run. The Yankees have averaged only 3.15 runs per game during this span.
"I'm not doing enough at the plate," Judge said via MLB.com. "I think it's about making sure we're swinging at the right pitches."
Judge is still having a strong overall season, slashing .250/.381/.554 with 16 home runs. However, his recent drought is dragging down New York's offense.
Boone's Perspective
"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. Fastballs got on him, and he was a little out in front of some other pitches. I think that's all it is—timing related."
Pattern of the Slump
Almost every Judge slump follows the same pattern. It's rarely about contact quality—few players hit the ball harder. Instead, his swing decisions fall out of whack.
Judge gets jumpy at the plate and starts chasing pitches out of the zone. There are ample opportunities to do so because few players in the league see fewer pitchers in the strike zone.
There's also a mechanical component: Judge tends to open up too early with his hips when he slumps, putting him in a bad hitting position. That contributes to his plate discipline issues.
Historical Context
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 the same Aaron Judge who slashed .311/.439/.677 and won three MVPs with three 50-homer seasons from 2022-25.
You needn't look back far to see the last time Judge was the best hitter in the world. This slump hasn't gone on that long, really.
Looking Ahead
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 a sub-.620 OPS, often multiple. This slump isn't unprecedented.
The Yankees need 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. "The offense isn't too far off. You get a couple of timely hits, a couple of walks when you need it, and some good things are going to happen."