Yankees star Aaron Judge recently repeated as American League MVP. It brought joy for Yankees fans, and Judge seemed to enjoy the moment. But there is a larger storyline here–at least there should be. It’s about being a World Series champion.
Winning the MVP back-to-back is nice, but being a World Series champion is better, and that line is missing on Judge’s impressive resume.
It isn’t fair to burden Judge alone for the lack of a trophy, but it is fair to assert that he tends to “come up small” in the postseason. He needs to be a force, like he was against the Blue Jays in Game 3 of the 2025 ALDS (game-tying home run and four RBIs), and not be like he played vs. the Dodgers in the 2024 World Series (.222 BA with seven strikeouts).
Besides cheering for Judge because of Yankee pride, the stark reality (beyond fan “homerism”) is that few things bother fans more than a player who does well in the regular season and then whiffs (literally) in the postseason. Ask Patrick Ewing and Henrik Lundqvist fans. Both had great careers in their respective sports, but neither brought home the big prize.
Compare Judge’s postseason performance to what Shohei Ohtani accomplished in the 2025 World Series: hitting .435 and going 2-0 on the mound with a 1.86 ERA. That’s not a one-off either. Ohtani has hit 11 home runs in the 2024 and 2025 postseasons, including eight in 2025.
Then, there’s this: How did Judge win the AL MVP over Cal Raleigh (60 HRs, 125 RBIs)? I know that just bringing up the question will offend Yankees’ fans, but it’s not only a fair question; it’s a question backed by strong arguments.
The point here is that while Judge wins awards, the Yankees consistently fail to take home the big prize. If that continues, Judge could be the first Yankee ever to be a Hall of Famer and not be a World Series champion.
In life, and especially in sports, there are standards and expectations. There’s a gap in this case–a big one.
