Aaron Judge went 0-for-4 in Game 7 of the ALCS. He struck out only once, in his last plate appearance, but that was enough for him to set a new postseason strikeout record that he alone holds at 27 Ks in these playoffs.
Aaron Judge sets record for postseason strikeouts in Yankees Game 7 loss
An ignominious end for one of the season’s best surprises.
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Most of those strikeouts came in the ALDS against the Indians, whose pitching he could not figure out no matter how hard he tried. He continued
He struck out a total of 11 times in seven games in the ALCS, compared to 16 strikeouts in only a five-game span of the ALDS. So he got his feet under him a little more, worked pitch counts, and waited for the pitch he wanted instead of constantly chasing breaking balls and sliders when he didn’t have to.
You could see his frustration with himself melt away ever so slightly in the ALCS, despite continuing struggles in the games that bookended the series.
Judge probably didn’t want his last postseason at-bat to be a strikeout, especially after he didn’t consistently perform as Yankees’ fans might have wanted him to this October. (Multiple clutch catches and a thrilling home run at Yankee Stadium in the ALCS not withstanding.)
Despite his second half struggles and this less-than-desired record that he now owns in the playoffs, Judge still looked better against opposing pitchers as October went along.
Even so, this will be a good trivia answer for astute fans down the road. And hopefully for Yankees fans, it will be the worst Judge ever looks in a postseason and he won’t come close to breaking his own record down the line.
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