Evaluating Aaron Judge’s Playoff Start: Success or October Letdown?
Aaron Judge entered the 2025 MLB playoffs amid scrutiny regarding his previous postseason performances. Throughout his career, Judge has experienced a notable decline in production during October, with his postseason OPS (On-base Plus Slugging) trailing his regular-season OPS by 250 points. This drop is significant, considering the 2024 average decrease for batters was just 18 points.
2025 Postseason Performance
In the Yankees’ 2024 playoff run, Judge posted a disappointing .184/.344/.408 batting line. However, his performance in the current playoffs has shown improvement. His OPS stands at 1.024, fueled by eight hits across his first five games, making him the leader in hits during the playoffs. Yet, he only has one extra-base hit—a double—over 21 plate appearances.
Challenges Against Various Pitchers
The Yankees find themselves on the brink of elimination against the Toronto Blue Jays, prompting an analysis of Judge’s at-bats this postseason. Observations show a distinct approach from left-handed and right-handed pitchers in how they compete against him.
Left-Handed Pitchers
Historically, Judge performs well against left-handed pitchers, boasting a .400 batting average across 42 plate appearances in his playoff career. This postseason, Judge has maintained a .500 average in eight at-bats against lefties, but has yet to hit a home run. Pitchers are strategically targeting his hands with hard pitches while mixing in softer ones to keep him off-balance.
Right-Handed Pitchers
Judge has struggled historically against right-handers, with a playoff OPS of just .192 over 241 plate appearances. This season, Judge’s numbers have improved slightly, hitting .400 with 15% of his at-bats resulting in walks. Right-handed pitchers are utilizing their off-speed pitches effectively against him, focusing on location to avoid allowing damage.
Judging His History
Despite Judge’s postseason struggles, pitchers must game plan against his impressive regular-season numbers, which include a career OPS of 1.028 and 368 home runs. His regular-season performance indicates that mistakes in the center of the strike zone are often punished, as evidenced by his staggering 1.630 OPS against middle-middle pitches during the 2025 regular season.
Facing October Challenges
This postseason, Judge has been unable to capitalize on pitches in the middle-middle zone, despite seeing them more frequently than he did throughout the regular season. Encountering seven such pitches, Judge went without a hit, contributing to growing concerns regarding his effectiveness when it matters most. With the Yankees facing elimination, his ability to deliver timely hits and possibly generate home runs could determine the team’s fate in the playoffs.
- Regular Season Highlights:
- OPS: 1.028
- Home Runs: 368
- 162 Games Played
- Playoff Performance (2025):
- First Five Games: 8 hits
- OPS: 1.024
- Extra-base Hits: 1
As the playoffs continue, Aaron Judge’s postseason performance remains a key factor for the Yankees. While his regular-season stats provide a foundation for expectation, his October results have yet to measure up, putting pressure on both him and the team to perform in moments that define a player’s legacy.
