NEW YORK – Despite all the data available to analyze players and events on the diamond, sometimes the reason a hitter abruptly snaps out of a slump is elemental. At least it was for Aaron Judge, currently the best hitter on the planet.
“I think just not missing the ball,” Judge said with a smile. “When I have a pitch to hit, I try to put the barrel on it, and it’s working right now.”
Judge had a .197 batting average and a .725 OPS after an oh-fer in a loss on May 2. Although the Yankees went 20-13, fueled by one of the stingiest pitching staffs in the majors and the near-daily exploits of newcomer Juan Soto, Judge’s surprisingly slow April did not go unnoticed. Since then, however, Judge has returned to his typical MVP self (he was named American League Player of the Week on Monday) while the Yankees have, as a result, reached another level, winning 13 of their last 16 games.
Judge is hitting .436 with seven home runs, 10 doubles and 15 walks in that stretch. His on-base percentage since May 3 is .563. His slugging percentage is 1.000. Let’s do the math and his OPS is 1.563, raising his season total to 263 points (from .725 to .988) in less than three weeks.
Aaron Boone usually notices something — a swing, an at-bat, a batting practice session — that indicates Judge is about to break out of a slump. More than six seasons with a player make it almost natural. But if there was a moment that helped spark this recent explosion (in which Judge launched multiple missiles deep into the outfield grass), if not into the bleacher seats, his manager didn’t see it.
“Not this time,” Boone said.
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Judge has sparked an offense that had previously struggled with inconsistency even as the team found ways to win. The Yankees, after being shut out five times in their first 30 games, have scored at least five runs in eight of their last 15 games without being held scoreless. Judge’s production has elevated the Yankees from a team off to a surprising start without ace Gerrit Cole to a dominant club with the second-best record in the major leagues. The Yankees, with Judge sweeping again, look like the Yankees again.
“I know people were asking questions about his start to the year,” Yankees starter Nestor Cortes said. “But we know he only needs one swing of the bat to turn it around and that’s exactly what he’s done. So we’re glad he’s hitting the ball and hitting hard balls.”
Throughout April, Judge was the most scrutinized hitter in the majors. Are your hands too high in his stance? Is he falling too much with his swing? Why doesn’t he erase the mistakes?
There were valid questions about his health. Before spring training, Judge reiterated that the big toe on his right foot will require “constant maintenance” for the rest of his career after tearing a ligament crashing into the wall at Dodger Stadium last season. In March, he experienced enough abdominal pain to undergo testing, but no structural damage was discovered. He soon returned and was ready for the start of the season. He stressed that he was healthy, but the conversations persisted even as he played every day.
Throughout, Boone said, Judge’s demeanor remained unchanged.
“You would never know if he has a series where he fights or a week where he fights or a week where he is doing the things he does now,” Boone said. “He’s really consistent in who he is and what he presents. I would say he’s the best I’ve ever seen at that.”
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Ultimately, Judge attributed his frigid April to an inability to capitalize on mistakes. He too often fouled out or swung at pitches he’s used to hitting. He still walked and hit six home runs, but it wasn’t clicking. His lowest point came on April 20 when he struck out four times in four at-bats and heard boos from the home crowd.
That seems like a long time ago. He leads the American League with 16 doubles. His 39 walks are the most in the majors. He is tied for fourth with Shohei Ohtani with 13 home runs and is fifth in wRC+ (177).
The Judge’s Baseball Savant page, icy blue until April, bleeds red again. He leads the majors in average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard hit percentage. He has smashed a baseball 473 feet, the longest in the majors this season, at 115.7 mph and smashed another 467 feet at 113 mph this month. He’s not only doing damage, but he’s also hitting pitches.
Soto has been everything the Yankees wanted. So far, Giancarlo Stanton is bouncing back strongly from a forgettable 2023 campaign. But no one in the majors is causing more damage than Judge. He has electrified an offense that now hits pitchers every day, as he says, by not missing the ball.
“We’re just getting to that point,” Judge said.
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