Aaron Judge's playoff stats after boombox incident at Fenway are a Yankees nightmare

The New York Yankees famously cannot talk trash. Every time they do, it blows up in their face like you've never seen before. Just look at ALDS Game 2, when Carlos Rodón was breathing fire and sticking it to the Kansas City Royals after an incredible first inning, only to eventually unravel in the fourth inning and take the loss. Did you catch Salvador Pérez wagging his tongue after his fourth inning homer, just like Rodón? This is just how it goes.

This modern version of the Yankees have apparently been cursed by Aaron Judge prematurely celebrating a win at Fenway Park back in 2018. Remember that? When New York stole Game 2 of the ALDS in Boston against the 108-win Red Sox? The Yankees snagged homefield advantage thanks to Judge's first-inning home run off David Price. The offense followed with five more runs to capture a 6-2 victory.

After the game, Judge was seen leaving Fenway Park with a boombox on his shoulder blasting the trademark Yankees song, "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra. What happened after that? The Red Sox won both games in the Bronx, outscoring the Yankees 20-4 to win the ALDS. They eventually won the World Series, too.

How have the Yankees done since then? They still have yet to win a pennant. Their closest shot was losing in six games to the Astros in the 2019 ALCS. Otherwise it's been horrid:

• 2020: ALDS Elimination vs Rays
• 2021: ALWC Elimination vs Red Sox
• 2022: ALCS Elimination vs Astros (Sweep)
• 2023: Missed Playoffs
• 2024: Tied 1-1 vs Royals in ALDS and probably going to lose

How about Judge? How's he been doing? You know, the Yankees' MVP and $360 million man? He has to be a playoff stalwart, right?

Wrong! What did we just tell you? The moment the Yankees open their mouths or try to get the mental edge, they crumble. And Judge is no different. Ever since the Fenway Boombox Incident, these are his stats in the postseason:

Yankees captain Aaron Judge's playoff stats since Fenway Park boombox incident vs. Red Sox in 2018

• Remaining two games in 2018 ALDS: 1-for-7, one run scored, one walk, one strikeout
• 2019 ALDS: 3-for-9 with three runs scored, four walks, one strikeout
• 2019 ALCS: 6-for-25, one run scored, one home run, two RBI, three walks, 10 strikeouts
• 2020 ALWC: 1-for-9, one run scored, one home run, two RBI, two walks, four strikeouts
• 2020 ALDS: 3-for-21, two runs scored, two home runs, three RBI, two walks, six strikeouts
• 2021 ALWC: 1-for-4
• 2022 ALDS: 4-for-20, four runs scored, two home runs, three RBI, one walk, 11 strikeouts
• 2022 ALCS: 1-for-16, one run scored, one walk, four strikeouts
• 2023 ALDS: 1-for-7, two walks, four strikeouts

In total, these are Judge's numbers: since Game 3 of the 2018 ALDS: (totaling 30 games):

• .185 AVG, .282 OBP, .352 SLG, .634 OPS
• 13 runs scored, 6 HR, 10 RBI, 16 BB, 41 Ks and, perhaps the craziest, ZERO DOUBLES

Don't get us wrong, Yankees fans thank their lucky stars every day that Judge is wearing pinstripes. Without him, this team is not in the playoffs. But there needs to be some sort of balance, because his disappearing acts in the postseason are actively holding the Yankees back from reaching their full potential.

We're hoping it turns around, but we now have a sample size of parts of five Octobers. Judge seems to be stuck in a mental rut, as he held the highest strikeout percentage of any player with at least 200 plate appearances in the postseason briefly on Monday before slipping back below Martin Maldonado and into second place by end of game (nice!).

Something needs to change. Now.