Will Aaron Judge Lead the Yankees to a Return to the World Series?

It has been a very long time since the New York Yankees has seen some success in the league with their victory in the 2009 World Series, which is also the same year that they have blown past the AL Championship Series. Now with Aaron Judge hitting beyond everyone’s expectations, it does seem that he is setting the bar to the point that everyone is now expecting bigger strides from the club.

But can Judge actually deliver a title run for the team at this point?

New York’s Long Standing World Series Drought

For long-time New York Yankees fans, it has been a challenging 14 years ever since the club has made it out of the ALCS, and their drought in the World Series has been quite hard considering that the team has found ways to thrive during the season, only to fall short multiple times since the post-championship years. Sure, the Yankees managed to clinch division titles in 2011, 2012, 2019, and 2022, but all of them have led to tough breaks ever since.

Judge has been in two of those tough finishes by the team since entering the league in 2016. Still, the five-time MLB All-Star has done a great job to prove his worth on the big stage, being an AL MVP, Silver Slugger, RBI Leader, Home Run Leader, and Hank Aaron Award winner – all in that fabled year of 2022. Still, one thing that has eluded him from being hailed as one of the best players in the game is an appearance in the World Series, and a win if possible.

Aaron Judge has been grinding for the Yankees image

Still, Judge has a long way to go, even at the age of 32. We all know that he is still capable of playing massive games when needed, and it does seem that he can find ways to deliver a promising win when given the chance. However, this season has seen some potential for him to get back on the big stage, and it would seem that the Yankees have a promising chance to enjoy massive victories in the game, now more than ever. If the Yankees can get to the top of the league with Judge on the lead, this would definitely break the internet and give the fanbase a renewed hope.

Massive Turnaround by Judge

It wasn’t long ago when Aaron Judge was being booed by fans at home, and even his teammate Gerrit Cole was far from returning to the pitching lineup – and the New York Yankees were far from where they are now. So when Judge suddenly found his groove, it was a no-brainer that he would start hitting massive strides in the game. As of the time of writing, Judge has been hitting at .306 with 27 homers, including a total of 67 RBI, and a .698 slugging percentage – which, if you’re a Yankees fan, – you would be a lot impressed with the way he’s played so far.

Aaron Judge has had an MVP campaign so far image

In May alone, Judge has averaged.371 with 14 homers, 27 RBI, 12 doubles and a .928 slugging percentage. For context, the only Yankee players with more extra-base hits in a month are legendary names in the club, named Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig, which gives us an insight as to what pace Aaron Judge is playing at right now, and it cannot be denied that there will be more to expect from his game as he continues to improve night in and night out. He is still leading the MLB in home runs, and there is more from him after being the fastest player to reach a total of 300 home runs in his career.

A Different Yankees Squad Under Judge’s Leadership

Aaron Judge has inspired his teammates well image

A month can be a massive story of difference between making it to the playoffs, missing it outright, or at least contending for a much bigger scale now more than ever. In hindsight, this team finished behind the playoffs with an 82-80 record. They were even dismissed as contenders for the World Series earlier in the offseason when Gerrit Cole was hurt in Spring Training with an elbow nerve inflammation. If you are not convinced as to how the Yankees have become a different team, you can just take a peek at some of their top performers.

Since that May run, the Yankees now lead the league with a total of 86 home runs, with 64 coming in since April 23. They are even leading the league at .335 on-base percentage and are a .769 on-base plus slugging percentage. So far, they hold the best league record at 36-7 whenever they score at least three runs in a game. Pitching has also taken a massive upside with a league-leading 2.75 ERA and have held opposing clubs to less than three runs in 38 games played. All of these have become a storied game with Judge taking a massive leap for the club.

An Inspired Rally for Judge

Judge has played at a high level image

If there are still doubts about how the team has managed to turn around the expectations at this point, one can say that the Yankees have found themselves a true leader who is willing to step up, take responsibility, and even come up with promising strides when needed. That’s what he explained when he spoke about the inspired rally that he has put up to lead the club to bigger heights – all for the glory of New York.

“We had a lot of high expectations, especially coming off what happened last season," said Judge about the sudden improvement from New York. “When you wear the pinstripes, and play in New York, you’re expected to win. I think this going into camp we said, 'Hey, we got to do it. We’ve got to go out there and grind and show people what we can do.’”

Judge has had his biggest stretches so far image

Judge has been optimistic when it comes to the future of the team, and the expectations that come along with it if they are going to deliver a promising victory by the end of the campaign. The Yankees are at the top of the MLB with a 51-26 record as of the time of writing, and they have ensured a promising +113 difference in their games so far. Sure, there may be hiccups, but Judge believes that they will all have to go through it much like any other team does.

“There’s going to be bumps and bruises, good times and bad times. The most important thing is to stay focused and try to improve a little bit each day,” Judge added. “But I can’t get caught up in what people are saying, or they’re not saying. I’ve got a job to do, especially in New York. You got to show up every single day. I wasn’t showing up, so I understand why there were a lot of questions."

Judge has proven his critics wrong so far image

Can Judge and the Yankees Reach the Promised Land?

We all know how the New York Yankees have been battling hard in the past few years. Not all teams get to win all the time, and sometimes even great seasons end in disasters. There is no guaranteed victory in the game, but one can say that Judge and the Yankees are willing to wade the tough waters of the MLB season and defy the odds with a chance to set history and put the club back on top.

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