Aaron Judge, a true baseball legend, has achieved remarkable feats during his nine seasons in the MLB. He joins an elite group of Yankees, including Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle, as a three-time MVP award winner. Judge's power hitting is legendary, with only a few other Yankees, like Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, matching his homerun records. In fact, Judge, along with Ruth, McGwire, and Sosa, holds the distinction of hitting 50+ home runs in a season four times, a record unmatched in baseball history.
However, there's one list Judge wants to avoid at all costs: the list of great players who never won a World Series. This list includes iconic names like Ted Williams, Ken Griffey Jr., and Barry Bonds, along with other Hall of Famers. Judge, with only one World Series appearance so far, is determined to change this narrative.
Despite his individual success, Judge's Yankees teams have fallen short in the postseason. Last year, they managed just one win against the Dodgers in the World Series, and this year, despite tying for the most wins in the American League, they struggled against the Blue Jays in the AL Division Series. Judge's performance in these series, with impressive stats and dramatic home runs, showcased his ability, but the team's overall success remained elusive.
Judge's comments after the Blue Jays series reflect his focus on the team and the fans. He expressed disappointment for his teammates and the fans, acknowledging that the Yankees haven't quite been the best team, despite consistently making the postseason. The Yankees' record against the AL East and other playoff teams highlights the need for improvement, especially against top competition.
While Judge has established himself as one of the greatest Yankees, his contemporaries, like Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts, have multiple World Series titles. Judge aims to write his own October history and join the ranks of legendary Yankees like Ruth and Gehrig. As Yogi Berra famously said, "It gets late early out there," and for Judge, that means it's time to deliver for the Yankees and bring home a World Series win.
