How Aaron Judge feels about being behind last season’s historic pace
Aaron Judge #AaronJudge
There’s a reason Aaron Judge’s 2022 season was so historic — it was one of the best offensive performances in recent memory.
This year, though there was little chance he would duplicate that success, Judge’s OPS has dipped by more than 100 points from this point a year ago heading into the Yankees’ game Friday night against the Rays.
Judge had six homers going into Friday, compared to 10 at the same point last year on his way to breaking Roger Maris’ American League home run record with 62 homers and grabbing the spotlight of the entire sport.
Although other people are stressing about his numbers, Judge said he is not.
“If I waste time comparing my stats to last year, I’d be spinning myself in circles,’’ Judge said Friday. “Each year is so different. Sometimes you have a hot start and cool off in the middle. Other years, you start slow and you deal with that. Your numbers are gonna be whatever they are at the end of year. You just make sure you prepare and put in the work. If you worry about it then, you start with the dips and slides.”
One part of his game that has caught the Yankees’ attention is Judge’s strikeout rate, which has spiked from 25.1 percent a year ago to 32 percent this season, according to Fangraphs.
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“When we’re looking at numbers, that one isn’t where we want it to be,’’ hitting coach Dillon Lawson said. “Some of it’s good pitching, but it’s more about him missing pitches he usually hits. We’re aware of it and it’s a work in progress.”
Despite the relative struggles, Judge still leads the Yankees with an OPS of .848 and is tied with Anthony Rizzo with an OPS-plus of 135.
His advanced metrics are strong, with an average exit velocity and hard-hit rate that are nearly the same as 2022.
To Judge’s point of how long the season is, Oakland’s Brent Rooker, a 28-year-old who bounced around the league without much to show for it prior to this season, is leading the majors with an OPS of 1.072.
Judge entered Friday 3-for-11 with a double and four strikeouts in three games since his return from a stint on the injured list with a strained hip.
Lawson joined Judge in not being overly concerned.
“In any other year, if you got rid of last year and looked at this one, it’s a great year,’’ Lawson said. “He set the bar so high for himself, the fans and everyone else and they’re expecting the same thing. And he’s always gonna expect it from himself, but this is a really good season so far.”
And Lawson chooses to pay attention to what has gone right and the fact that Judge hasn’t changed his approach.
“We’re happy that even with all we’re talking about, he’s still having a really good season,’’ Lawson said. “And we know nothing is gonna get to him mentally because if he didn’t show it last year, this certainly isn’t gonna bring it out.”