Judge needs to move from DH to the outfield.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge tied Yogi Berra for fifth in home runs (358) in franchise history. He did it after he hit his 43rd home run of the season in the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Big deal? I say, no, and here’s why.
It’s about the here and now. Breaking records is fine, but there’s nothing more important than winning championships, and Judge needs to up his game if that’s going to happen this season.
Giancarlo Stanton, Trent Grisham, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. have been the team’s best players. They have kept the Yankees more afloat than Judge. Plus, Judge has hit six home runs since coming off the injured list. That’s pedestrian by his standards.
I know it’s a dead heat between Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh and Judge for AL MVP. But more important is Judge “being the guy” in September and October, and he hasn’t been that. To be that, Judge needs to change the narrative.
Courtesy Yahoo! Sports
In August, Judge is hitting .241 with 23 strikeouts in 83 at-bats, and that’s not good enough. One reason is that he’s not “in the game” by playing DH. Many players tend to be more productive when they are on the field and in the game each inning.
That means Judge needs to move from DH to the outfield. Moreover, if Judge told the Yankees that’s where he wants to play, my take is that the Yankees would be more than happy to accommodate him.
What’s happening now is a reflection of the team’s soft culture, one that has become more of a Club Med experience than one of accountability.
That’s why it’s fair to question if Judge has what it takes to be a champion. Judge is at the point in his career where his legacy will be about championships. That says it’s not about winning an HR title or the AL MVP. It’s about winning the World Series.
Judge only has so many chances left to do that, and the next time is about two months away. It’s time to get in gear. Does he have what it takes?
