New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is on a hot streak with his bat, but he's remembering a time earlier this season when things weren't going so well. Judge is being honest about how it felt to get booed by fans at Yankee Stadium in April.
“I can’t get caught up in what people are saying or what they’re not saying. I’ve got a job to do, and especially in New York, you’ve got to show up every single day,” Judge said, per USA Today.
“And I wasn’t showing up so I understand there was a lot of questions, and now it’s past us.”
Judge started the year in a bad slump, but now leads Major League Baseball in slugging, per the New York Post. He also leads the American League in on base percentage with a .413 mark. The Yankees are currently atop the AL East, with a 37-17 record. The team has also won their last four games.
Judge's season with the Bronx Bombers
Judge has now homered in the team's last four games. He is on a tear, achieving MLB history by becoming the first player to hit at least 11 doubles and 12 homers in a 20-game span, per USA Today. The team is leaning on that offense to get a sizable lead in the division standings. The Yankees have won eight of their last 10, behind some of that potent hitting.
In early April, things weren't going that well for Judge. While New York was winning several games, it came in spite of Judge. The slugger came out of the gate this season unable to even buy a hit. He had a .179 average with only three home runs after the team's first 21 games, per USA Today. Fans were angry, and it seems he has heard that message. He has hit as many homers in the team's last three contests.
Things may have started to turn in the right direction on May 2. Judge was actually ejected from a game, and it was the first time that had ever happened to him. After striking out in a plate appearance, Judge exchanged words with the home plate umpire before walking back to the dugout. With his back to the umpire Judge got tossed. It was a bizarre sequence. That seemed to have lit a fire in him, as the Yankees center fielder started swinging a lot better after that.
“Got a lot of work to do, a lot of games to play, so we got to keep working,” Judge added. “I don’t look at the past. The most important thing is just staying focused and trying to improve a little bit each day.”
The question is now how long can Judge can keep this hot hitting going. Some believe he won't be able to keep it up all season, including one unnamed executive from another club. This person believes Judge's body will get worn out from his consistent appearances in the Yankees outfield.
“You need him for seven months, not six months, and at some point fatigue is going to set in,” the executive said, per USA Today.
Time will tell how long Judge can keep it up, but Yankees fans surely aren't booing now.
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