LOS ANGELES — Aaron Judge found himself under the spotlight in the Yankees’ locker room after a disappointing 4-2 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2 of the World Series. Judge, usually composed and collected, was visibly sweating as he faced a barrage of questions from reporters and cameras in the cramped visitors’ clubhouse at Dodger Stadium.
Despite his struggles at the plate in the first two games of the Fall Classic, Judge took full responsibility for his performance. “I definitely gotta step up. I gotta do my job,” he admitted. “Guys around me are doing their job, getting on base. You know, and I’m failing ’em, [not] backing ’em up.”
With just one hit in nine at-bats and six strikeouts so far, Judge’s performance in the World Series has been far from his usual dominant self. The Dodgers have been exploiting his discomfort by throwing him a high percentage of breaking pitches outside the strike zone.
Despite Judge’s struggles, it’s important to note that he is not the only Yankee struggling in this series. The bottom three hitters in the lineup have also been quiet, with a combined 1-for-24 record. However, Judge, as the face of the franchise, bears the brunt of the criticism.
Teammates like Anthony Rizzo have faith in Judge’s abilities to bounce back. “He’s the best person I’ve ever been around. Good things will come, for sure,” Rizzo said.
While Judge has faced challenges before, the stakes are higher in the World Series. The Yankees cannot afford to wait for Judge to find his form, and Judge knows this well.
Despite the pressure, Judge remains calm and focused on the task at hand. His unwavering faith in the long game has been a guiding principle throughout the season, and he will need to rely on that now more than ever.
As the World Series spotlight shines brighter, Judge is running out of time to turn things around and write a new chapter in his postseason story.