Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees had a difficult series in the previous round over the Kansas City Royals. Expectations do important, of course. The general public simply believes that he will hit one home run every game and score ten runs during the Division Series. But the truth is that he was not very good, with a.620 OPS and only two hits in four games.
With more moving pieces in his swing, Judge’s size makes him a bit slower to settle into a groove, which is something the Yankees experienced prior to playing the Royals. He was clearly having more competitive at-bats by the opening ALCS game versus the Cleveland Guardians: he was swinging at strikes and laying off balls more skillfully, and he was also routinely making harder contact.
At last, in the second game on Tuesday, Judge was able to reach a long, towering home run all the way to centre field by latching onto a high fastball thrown by Hunter Gaddis. Following Judge’s setbacks, a few Yankees supporters jeered him, obviously expecting more from him. However, the Captain is accustomed to handling difficult circumstances and has demonstrated maturity in the past:
“This place has booed me a lot. You cannot concentrate on that. All you have to do is pay attention to what you can manage. After hitting his first home run of the postseason, he remarked, “What I can control is what I do in the box and what I do on the field,” according to ESPN.
Judge is well aware of the expectations held by Yankees fans, but because of his mentality, he is attempting to relax and not let the pressure from off the field affect his at-bats. He is aware that his mind works best when it is calm and focused.
The Yankees are hopeful that Judge can continue his recent strong play and display his power at Progressive Field, home of the Guardians, on Thursday, Friday, and, if needed, Saturday.
Following the big home run, Judge’s October OPS is up to.735, and it is steadily rising. Should the Yankees advance all the way to the World Series, there’s a very high chance he’ll play so well we won’t even recall his early-postseason mini-slump.
