World Classic: Aaron Judge Has a Chance to Silence the Critics

Although Aaron Judge has certainly had his share of standout moments in the postseason in the past—such as when he tied Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays last year—he has a reputation for being somewhat of a letdown when it comes to playing in October.

In 65 playoff games spread across eight seasons, Judge has hit 17 home runs, driven in 41 runs, and posted a .236 batting average with an .882 OPS. His best performance in the postseason by far came in 2025, when he posted a .500 batting average with a ridiculous 1.273 OPS over seven games and 26 plate appearances.

Admittedly, his stats don't quite match the performances Yankees fans are used to seeing from their captain during the rest of the year. Indeed, his career regular-season stats are significantly better, with a .294 batting average and an OPS of 1.028.

But there's absolutely nothing catastrophic here, and now that the U.S. team is officially in the World Baseball Classic final, it's time for the New York Yankees captain to silence the skeptics once and for all.

The biggest game in an international tournament is the closest thing to the high-stakes moments of the MLB playoffs, and Judge can use this opportunity to change the narrative by helping his country win the title.

And it will be against Venezuela—which has had quite a run, culminating in a victory over Italy in the semifinals—that Judge will have to step up tonight at 8 p.m. (Quebec time) in the grand final.

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