Yankees’ Aaron Judge is off to 3-for-24 start: Concern or déjà vu?
· Yahoo Sports
SEATTLE — Paul Goldschmidt was in the batter’s box with two on and two out in the Yankees' sixth inning of Tuesday’s game at T-Mobile Park as Aaron Judge watched.
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With one foot on the top dugout step and the other on the second, Judge leaned on the padded rail, studying the action, with left fielder Cody Bellinger to his left, assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes to his right.
Mariners righty Logan Gilbert’s 1-1 pitch was a grooved middle-in fastball. Goldschmidt, off the bench and in the lineup, showed he still has a lot of right-handed pop at age 38, blasting the mistake pitch to deep, deep left field for a home run.
Before the baseball sailed over the wall, Judge hopped over the dugout railing to clap and cheer Goldschmidt’s first homer of the season, then they slapped hands when meeting at the dugout entrance.
Suddenly ahead 4-0, the Yankees were on their way to a 5-3 victory that capped a season-opening 5-1 road trip that had a lot more to do with historic pitching than the usual heroics from Judge, their three-time American League MVP.
It’s been a rough first week for the Yankees captain, whose biggest contribution in Wednesday’s series finale probably was leadership and cheerleading.
In four at-bats, Judge was hitless with a strikeout. He reached first base his last time up on a throwing error by Mariners third baseman Brendan Donovan, then was caught stealing with a perfect throw by catcher Cal Raleigh.
Judge’s hitless afternoon sank his average to .125 in six games. In 25 plate appearances, Judge has three hits, 11 strikeouts and one walk. He’s hit the ball right at outfielders, but has also looked bad chasing in other at-bats.
Should we make anything of the Yankees’ Superman more resembling Clark Kent for a week?
Judge was 3 for 24 after six games two years ago, the season he was batting .197 through May 2.
How did that turn out? He ended nearly winning a Triple Crown with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and a .322 average.
Here’s a little more Yankees history to ponder:
Judge batted .211 with one homer in his first six games in 2017, then was up to .303 with 10 homers by the end of April and finished at .284 with an AL rookie record 52 home runs.
Before Sunday’s game, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was asked if he typically sees something from Judge to sense a hot streak.
Smiling, Boone responded, “When he shows up! Yeah, I saw him walk in today, so that could be the sign!”
It wasn’t, but maybe Friday when the Yankees play the Marlins (5-1) in their home opener.
The Yankees know it’s coming because it always does.
“It’s just early in the season,” Boone said. “It’s a small stretch. Even for him, when it’s not clicking at a level we’re accustomed to seeing with him all the time, he’s still had a major impact in two wins offensively coupled with all the other things he brings to the table on defense and in the dugout.”
Judge’s two homers were big ones.
Last Friday’s game in San Francisco was scoreless until Judge hit a two-run homer in the sixth, and the Yankees went on to win 3-0. The next day, he hit a solo shot in a 3-1 Yankees win.
No, the Yankees aren’t concerned, not even a little bit.
“With Judgy, it’s always a matter of time before he gets dialed in from a timing standpoint, and off we go,” Boone said.
JUDGE’S 1ST 6 GAMES
2016: .304 average, 7 for 23, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 8 K
2017: .211 average, 4 for 19, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 BB, 5 K
2018: .286 average, 6 for 21, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 8 K
2019: .333 average, 7 for 21, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 6 BB, 10 K
2020: .250 average, 6 for 24, 0 HR, 10 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K
2021: .346 average, 9 for 26, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 6 K
2022: .292 average, 7 for 24, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 6 K
2023: .348 average, 8 for 23, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 BB, 10 K
2024: .125 average, 3 for 24, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K
2025: .417 average, 10 for 24, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 3 BB, 7 K
2026: .125 average, 3 for 24, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 11 K
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