New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is off to a slow start and it continued on Saturday afternoon with a four-strikeout performance in a 2-0, 10-inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.
That game dropped his season average to .179 and his OPS to a dismal .682 OPS that is nearly .300 points lower than his career average (.976). After that fourth strikeout, he was greeted by boos from the home crowd at Yankee Stadium.
Most players probably wouldn’t respond favorably to getting booed by their home fans, especially given how good Judge has been for them over his career, but he seemed unbothered by the whole ordeal and said he did not blame them.
Judge said he has “heard worse” during his career and added that he would “probably be doing the same thing.”
Judge, 32, is still dealing with the impact of a toe injury that sidelined him during the 2023 season after he ran into the wall at Dodger Stadium. He has yet to find his groove this spring and is off to one of the worst starts of his career.
Despite that slow start from Judge, the Yankees are still 14-7 and own the American League’s second-best record to the 14-6 Cleveland Guardians. The addition of outfielder Juan Soto to the lineup – as well as a breakout performance from shortstop Anthony Volpe – has more than helped make up for Judge’s early slump.
Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes called the booing of Judge “disappointing,” especially given how great he has been for so long.
The harsh reality however is that fans pay good money to go to games and have the right to boo if they do not like what they are seeing. New York fans are especially demanding. Especially when it comes to a franchise like the Yankees and a big-money player like Judge.
As concerning as Judge’s start might be, especially given his health in recent years and the fact he is going to turn 32 later this week, it is still early and he has a proven track record as an impact player. There is a very good chance he hits his way out of this slump and gets back in the good graces of his hometown fans.
