KANSAS CITY ¯ After hitting in front of Aaron Judge all season, Juan Soto has a pretty good sense of what his teammate is doing at the plate.
So if the Yankees’ captain was trying to do too much this postseason, thus resulting in some poor numbers, Soto would know, wouldn’t he?
“No, I don’t think so,” Soto said when asked if Judge has been pressing before the Yankees beat the Royals in Game 3 of the ALDS. “I feel like everybody goes through tough games. It’s going to happen. Everybody knows it’s part of the game. It’s part of the life of baseball.
“I don’t think he has any pressure. I think he’s trying his best. They’re making really good pitches against him. He’s just got to come and connect the ball well.”
Brian Cashman, who also spoke before Game 3, agreed that Judge is not pressing.
“I think he’s cool as a cucumber,” the general manager said. “He’s a threat every time he’s up there.”
Judge did make some strong contact in Game 3, striking a 114.4-mph line drive with an .860 expected average in the first inning; a 90.2-mph, 341-foot flyball in the fourth; and a 99.2-mph, 368-foot flyball in the fifth. All three balls were caught for outs, though, and Judge went 0-for-4 with a walk and a strikeout in the Yankees’ 3-2 win.
Afterward, Judge was informed that Yankees hitting coach James Rowson thought the center fielder’s swing looked as good as it has. Asked if Judge felt the same way, he replied, “I didn’t get any hits, so it’s not feeling too good, but we’re right we need to be.”
Judge, the MVP frontrunner, is now 1-for-11 with five strikeouts this October, reinforcing the narrative that he has failed to deliver in the postseason.
Entering Game 4 on Thursday, Judge is a .203/.308/.440 hitter with 13 home runs and 25 RBI over 47 playoff games. He is hitting .074 with zero extra-base hits in the postseason since the start of the 2022 ALCS, which the Yankees lost to the Astros in four games.
With the Bombers now looking to eliminate Kansas City, Judge’s teammates are insisting the slugger will turn things around.
“He’s definitely going to do damage,” said Giancarlo Stanton, who carried the Yankees’ offense on Wednesday. “It’s only a matter of time. He’s had good at-bats, so yeah, it’ll come when we need him most.”
Added Soto: “There’s no doubt about that guy. I feel like he’s gonna have a big game every night. Once in a while, it’s not gonna happen his way. But I definitely have all my trust in him and what he can do.”
