3 Yankees we’re officially worried about heading into ALDS

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 16: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 16, 2020 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 16: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees looks on during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on September 16, 2020 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
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Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees

1. Aaron Judge

Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is still slumping regardless of what you think.

Aaron Judge kickstarted the Yankees’ offense on Tuesday by uncorking a two-run homer off Shane Bieber to give the team a 2-0 lead they never looked back from. That set the tone for Game 1 and played an immeasurable role in the Wild Card Series win.

However, Judge has just two playoff extra-base hits ever since blasting “New York, New York” at Fenway Park, and we can’t help but be concerned. He’s just 11 for his last 50 postseason at-bats with two homers, four RBI, 16 strikeouts and 10 walks. Even more problematic is his current slide.

Ever since coming off the injured list on Sept. 16, Judge is 8 for his last 44 with one home run, four RBI and 17 strikeouts. That momentous home run will quickly make you forget about all of that, though, and truth be told, if he keeps hitting timely home runs, everyone will dismiss the overall struggles. However, we can’t bank on that given the wackiness of this year’s postseason.

Initially, everyone was concerned about Giancarlo Stanton because he’d looked really bad ever since coming off the IL the same week as Judge, but he went 2-for-7 with three runs scored, two home runs, three RBI and two walks, one of which came in the ninth inning in Game 2 to keep the Yankees alive, in the Wild Card Series.

And Judge missed most of the team’s action against Tampa this year, so it seems he’ll be facing an uphill battle in terms of getting back on track at the plate.

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