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Aaron Judge is in the middle of another standout season, having hit more than 50 home runs for the third time in his career.
However, the New York Yankees slugger is currently navigating a 15-game homerless drought-the longest stretch without a home run this season, and tied for the longest of his career.
Taking it in stride, Judge chalks up the dry spell to the nature of the game. "It's just baseball," he said before the Yankees' recent 4-3, 11-inning victory over the Kansas City Royals. "I'm feeling fine, and the results will be there."
While the slump began after Judge made a spectacular catch against the Washington Nationals, crashing into the center field wall to rob a home run, both he and Yankees manager Aaron Boone insist the issue isn't health-related.
"It's just hitting," Boone said. "He's still putting together a historic season."
Judge has faced and overcome slumps before. In April, questions surfaced when he homered just four times in his first 27 games, hitting .178 with a .674 OPS.
Then, on April 27, Judge broke out of the slump with back-to-back homers and went on to hit 47 home runs in his next 102 games, briefly outpacing the historic numbers he posted during his 2022 record-breaking season.
During that hot streak, Judge hit .377 and maintained a remarkable 1.349 OPS, all but securing another AL MVP award.
But in recent weeks, Judge has struggled again, going 11-for-54 with just three extra-base hits (all doubles) and posting a .594 OPS over the last two weeks.
Optimism despite dip in form
Boone remains optimistic despite the dip in form: "It's another historic season he's putting together. I'm confident he'll get rolling."
With 16 games remaining in the regular season, Judge's pursuit of his AL-record 62 home runs from two years ago appears to have stalled. More pressing for the Yankees is helping their captain break out of his current rut as they fight to secure their postseason position.
Even with his recent struggles, Judge remains a leading candidate for the AL MVP award. His closest competitor is Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who has kept the Royals in contention for the second wild-card spot.
Witt's strong play has tightened the MVP race, but Judge, who leads the majors in RBIs, OPS, and on-base percentage, seems unfazed. "I don't pay attention to that,'' Judge said when asked about the MVP competition. "There's nothing I can do about it."
As of Wednesday, Judge has a 9.5 WAR, compared to Witt's 9.1. Still, with the Yankees having dropped eight of their last 14 games, the focus is on helping Judge find his form as the team looks to fend off the Baltimore Orioles and secure the AL East title.
For Judge, the current drought is just part of the game. "It's just baseball," he repeated. For the Yankees, however, breaking the captain's slump will be crucial in their push for the postseason.