The New York Yankees have spent years relying on Aaron Judge to be the engine that powers their offense. He has been the best power hitter in MLB for nearly a decade. Whether it’s crushing home runs into the seats, driving in key runs, or carrying the lineup during difficult stretches, Judge has consistently delivered when the team needed him most. But for the first time in a long time, there may be reason for concern. Judge is in the middle of a stretch that is beginning to raise legitimate questions, and the numbers are becoming impossible to ignore.
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Over his last 13 games, Judge has managed just one RBI while posting a .619 OPS. For most players, a rough two-week stretch wouldn’t generate much attention. For Judge, however, this is territory he simply has never entered before.
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According to Yankees insider Katie Sharp, this is the first time in Judge’s career that he has experienced a 13-game span with one or fewer RBIs and an OPS below .625.
That stat alone immediately stands out. Judge has gone through slumps before, but even during cold stretches, he has typically still found ways to impact games through power, walks, or timely hits. This stretch has been different.
What may be even more concerning is the complete lack of extra-base production. Since May 6th, Judge has hit just one home run and recorded only three extra-base hits overall. For one of baseball’s most feared power hitters, that drop-off is significant.
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This doesn’t feel like a simple case of line drives finding gloves or bad luck on balls in play. Judge’s usual game-changing impact has largely vanished.
When opposing pitchers face Judge, the goal is normally damage control. Right now, they’re attacking him with far less fear because the results simply haven’t been there.
Judge isn’t carrying this burden alone. The Yankees offense as a whole has looked surprisingly ineffective over the past 13 games. During that span, New York has scored only 41 runs while striking out an alarming 137 times.
Even more concerning is the historical context. This is only the second time in franchise history that a Yankees offense has scored 41 or fewer runs while striking out at least 137 times across a 13-game span. For a lineup built around power and run production, those numbers represent a major problem.
Whenever a superstar suddenly sees his production fall off a cliff, health immediately becomes part of the conversation. Is Judge dealing with a nagging injury? Is there fatigue setting in? Is he playing through something that hasn’t been publicly discussed?
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Right now, there has been no indication that Judge is dealing with an injury, which leaves another possibility on the table — perhaps this is simply baseball being baseball. Even the greatest players in the world go through rough stretches over a 162-game season.
But what makes this feel different is the complete absence of power and run production. Judge isn’t just hitting fewer home runs; he isn’t making the type of impact fans are used to seeing at all.
Calling this a crisis would be unfair. Aaron Judge has earned the benefit of the doubt after years of MVP-caliber production and carrying the Yankees offense. At the same time, dismissing it entirely as “just a slump” may not be the right approach either.
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The Yankees captain remains one of baseball’s most dangerous hitters, and history says players of his caliber usually find their way out of these stretches. But with the offense struggling alongside him, every game that passes will only increase the attention surrounding Judge’s struggles.
For now, the Yankees are waiting for their captain to break out of it. The question is whether this is simply a temporary cold streak — or the first sign that something bigger is going on in the Bronx.
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