It’s been a long time since Aaron Judge looked like Aaron Judge in the postseason.
His last dominant playoff series came in 2018, when Judge had an OPS of 1.194 in a loss to the Red Sox.
And Judge’s most recent postseason series ended with a 1-for-16 disaster in the 2022 ALCS defeat to Houston, which followed his record-breaking home run season.
Judge has the chance to reassert his will in the playoffs again starting Saturday in The Bronx, when the Yankees open the ALDS versus Kansas City.
Though the Royals won just 86 games to get a wild-card spot and lack stars outside of Bobby Witt Jr. and Sal Perez, they could present another tough challenge to Judge after another MVP caliber season.
It begins with their scheduled Game 1 starter, right-hander Michael Wacha. The 33-year-old has handled Judge better, arguably, than anyone else in the league.
Judge is just 1-for-18 with three walks and 11 strikeouts against Wacha in his career.
His .246 OPS when facing Wacha is Judge’s lowest against any pitcher he’s faced more than 16 times.
“I’ll still take my chances,’’ Aaron Boone said on a Thursday Zoom call from the Stadium, when asked about Judge’s struggles versus Wacha. “Chalk it up to a small sample. I’ll take Aaron Judge against just about anyone on any day.”
For a team that hasn’t scored more than five runs in a playoff game since Game 1 of the 2020 ALDS against the Rays — a span of 15 games — the Yankees will need plenty from Judge.
The veteran Wacha has plenty of postseason experience and starred through much of the playoffs for the Cardinals in 2013 before an ugly Game 6 outing.
Since that start, Wacha has appeared in four postseason games and allowed 19 earned runs and six homers in just 11 innings. Wacha hasn’t faced the Yankees since May 2023, when Judge went 1-for-4.
To make matters worse for Judge and Co., Seth Lugo, who figures to start later in the series — perhaps Game 3 — has held Judge hitless in eight at-bats with three strikeouts during his career.
But the Yankees aren’t all that interested in all those numbers, not after watching Judge hit 58 home runs and evolve into an even better hitter than he was when he hit 62 homers in 2022.
Judge closed the season with homers in five straight games before he whiffed five times for the first time this year in his last game of the season on Sept. 28.
Hitting coach James Rowson said Judge is in “a great spot” at the plate.
“Obviously, anybody [can have] tough days in this game, but his season speaks for itself,’’ Rowson said. “What he was able to do this year, we haven’t seen — maybe — from a right-handed hitter in the history of the game. I love where he’s at.”
Rowson added of Judge: “He’s been motivated from Day 1. He looks forward to the postseason and anyone who knows Judge knows he stays focused on the day, but he has a goal in mind. The goal is to win a World Series. I think this is gonna be a solid postseason for him, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what he can do.”
Brian Cashman called Judge’s performance “superhuman” and is ready for the slugger — and the rest of the team — to cement his legacy.
“Let’s hope he and his crew, all of us, are gonna be in position to finally add another positive to his résumé, which is ultimately a world championship,’’ Cashman said. “That’s something he and we have not accomplished together yet. Hopefully in 2024, we can finally get back on top of that. We’ll see.”