Aaron Judge has changed the narrative with a new impetus

The question that concerned Aaron Judge for most of the season was not whether he would win his third American League MVP award in four years, although nothing is certain yet, but whether he would finally play up to his talent in the playoffs.

Prior to Tuesday, in 20 playoff plate appearances, Judge had three walks, two singles and a double for a .176 batting average and a .235 power percentage. He had never hit a home run.

But let's just say that the New York Yankees captain was there when it mattered most, hitting probably the biggest long ball of his career last night (Tuesday) against the Toronto Blue Jays.

https://twitter.com/Yankees/status/1975743192319365348

This bomb came off a 99.7 MPH fastball 1.2 feet from home plate, almost at elbow height. It was the first time since MLB began tracking such statistics in 2008 that a batter cannoned a long ball on a pitch thrown so hard and so far inside. Given the increase in velocity in recent years, there's a good chance this is the first time in MLB history.

That makes a total of six home runs for Judge when his team faces elimination. We tend to forget that when it comes to evaluating his performances at the fall dance.

https://twitter.com/JustBB_Media/status/1975745579285086682

Judge currently boasts a .500 batting average in the current playoffs and an OPS of 1.304. Let's just say that's a bit of a change from the narrative of recent years.

That narrative isn't always accurate, and it's not always easy to overcome.

Ted Williams had 25 career playoff at-bats, hit safely in five of them, and was always seen as someone who didn't perform when it counted. Barry Bonds hit for a .471 average and had a 1.294 OPS in the 2002 World Series, but the San Francisco Giants lost and he had hit for .196 in his previous five Octobers, so nobody cared.

Judge's legacy is still incomplete, but in New York, it will be a disappointment if he doesn't win a World Series. And Judge knows better than anyone that the work isn't done, either this year or for his career.

This content was created with the help of AI.