Aaron Judge is not alone in his massive Yankees World Series failure

Aaron Judge will person to strengthen his mounting October bequest of decreasing impact. Fifty-six games has a ample meaning successful Yankees and shot history astir Joe DiMaggio.

But what it represented going into Tuesday night’s World Series Game 4 was nan number of games Judge has now played successful nan postseason. Judge’s astir ardent clubhouse defenders invoke N and N — communicative and sound — to effort to propose it is extracurricular negativity purveyors who are creating his soiled postseason image.

The Yankees, though, can’t person it some ways, talking up really Giancarlo Stanton elevates to magic astatine this clip of twelvemonth without acknowledging Judge’s plummet to tragic postseason results. After all, this is nary longer immoderate insignificant sample size. The 56 postseason games tied Hideki Matsui for 11th astir successful Yankee history.

Matsui, though, was among nan champion October players successful franchise history. Among nan 51 Yankees pinch astatine slightest 100 postseason sheet appearances, his .312 mean was seventh champion while Judge’s .196 was seventh worst. Matsui won nan World Series MVP nan past clip nan Yankees were successful nan World Series, successful 2009. Judge was connected nan measurement to being nan goat of this Fall Classic, toting a 1-for-12 pinch 7 strikeouts arsenic nan Dodgers took a three-games-to-nothing lead.

The Yankees had played 12 games this postseason, each decided by 3 runs aliases fewer. They survived pinch a singular large infinitesimal by Judge successful nan first 2 rounds — a two-run, eighth-inning, game-tying homer disconnected Cleveland person Emmanuel Clase successful ALCS Game 3. Incidentally, that was 1 of nan 2 games nan Yankees mislaid successful nan playoffs.

The Yankees could unrecorded without overmuch from Judge and still prevail complete nan small brothers of nan AL Central. Not against nan Dodgers. If Judge were hitting, nan Yankees could — and perchance would — person won each of nan first 3 games alternatively than autumn into their near-impossible hole.

He is nan biggest prima connected nan team. The highest paid successful franchise history. Thus, he has nan top weight. It is simply a ample load for what is nary longer a mini sample. Judge simply has not joined a triumvirate of effect pinch Stanton and Juan Soto, a duo that was 7-for-23 (.304) pinch 2 homers and 4 RBIs done World Series Game 3 compared to everyone other going 12-for-79 pinch 1 homer and 3 RBIs.

It emphasizes that nan agelong lineup nan Yankees believed they constructed ne'er really materialized and has worsened astatine nan worst clip — their Nos. 7-9 hitters were 4-for-34 (.118) pinch 12 strikeouts.

What is underscored present is that nan Dodgers are winning some nan superstar information of this programme pinch notably Freddie Freeman already beautiful overmuch sealing nan World Series MVP aft nan first inning Monday. But besides winning nan chorus portion. And location should beryllium nary astonishment here.

During nan regular season, nan Dodgers had 7 players return astatine slightest 250 sheet appearances pinch an OPS-plus of 110 aliases higher, which tied for nan MLB lead. The Yankees had 3 (you guessed it, Judge, Soto and Stanton), which among others was tied pinch nan Pirates.

After years of being excessively righty and getting exploited successful nan playoffs that way, nan Yanks added 3 bats for this year: Austin Wells making nan squad from nan outset and yet becoming nan starting catcher, Alex Verdugo successful an offseason waste and acquisition and Jazz Chisholm successful a deadline deal. At times it worked, notably pinch Chisholm soon aft nan waste and acquisition and Wells rising to cleanup early successful nan 2nd half.

But successful nan postseason, Verdugo was hitting .195, Chisholm .170 and Wells carried complete a horrific September into October astatine .093.

Conversely, nan Dodgers were concerned astir being susceptible to lefties and signed Teoscar Hernandez and Enrique Hernandez successful nan offseason and traded for switch-hitter Tommy Edman (who hits champion from nan correct side) astatine nan deadline. Enrique Hernandez would person signed pinch nan Yankees but preferred nan familiarity of nan Dodgers. The Yanks tried to get Edman astatine nan deadline moreover aft obtaining Chisholm and nan White Sox were much fixated connected a three-way woody successful which nan Dodgers landed not conscionable Edman, but different Yankee target, reliever Michael Kopech.

Edman has an .896 OPS this postseason, won nan NLCS MVP and is nan benignant of sound, heady subordinate nan Yankees lack. Enrique Hernandez has an .850 OPS and Teoscar Hernandez has a .743 OPS. The trio was 11-for-33 (.333) successful nan World Series.

So, yes, Judge is nan look of nan Yankees’ descent toward winter. But he is not unsocial against a Dodger force whose full lineup has travel a batch person to All Rise.