It’s been a while since Aaron Judge has truly shined in the postseason. Remember back in 2018? He lit up the ALDS against the Red Sox with an OPS of 1.194, even though the Yankees ultimately fell short. Fast forward to his last playoff appearance, and it’s a different story – Judge went 1-for-16 in the 2022 ALCS against Houston—definitely not the kind of performance anyone expected after his record-breaking home run season.

Aaron Judge has a golden opportunity to silence any doubts lingering from previous postseasons starting Saturday in The Bronx against the Royals. Sure, the Royals snuck into the playoffs with just 86 wins and don’t have the star power beyond Bobby Witt Jr. and Salvador Perez, but they can still be a tricky matchup. After an MVP-caliber season, fans are eager to see him step up when it matters most. What are your predictions for him in this series?  

Aaron Boone isn’t concerned and neither should be you 

Game 1 is shaping up to be quite the showdown, especially with the starting pitcher for the Kansas City Royals, Michael Wacha on the mound. Judge has really struggled against him—just 1-for-18 with three walks and 11 strikeouts. Ouch! That .246 OPS is the lowest Judge has against any pitcher he’s faced more than 16 times. But you’ve got to love Aaron Boone’s confidence. When asked about Judge’s history with Wacha, he said to the New York Post, “I’ll still take my chances. Chalk it up to a small sample. I’ll take Aaron Judge against just about anyone on any day.” 

Supporters are hopeful that this will be the turning point where Judge demonstrates his true power and makes things right. The Yankees must improve, especially in light of the fact that they haven’t scored more than five runs in a postseason game since the 2020 ALDS opener versus the Rays.  That’s fifteen games in a row! They are really depending on Judge to offer some significant firepower in light of this. Conversely, Michael Wacha offers a plethora of postseason expertise.

In 2013, he was a vital member of the Cardinals until, of course, that disastrous Game 6. But since then, his postseason experience has been a little rough. In just 11 innings across his four postseason appearances, he has given up a startling 19 earned runs and six home runs. Remarkably, Wacha hasn’t played the Yankees since May 2023, when Judge had a 1-for-4 performance. It will be interesting to watch how this all turns out. Will Aaron Judge be able to break through against Wacha, or will the pitcher continue to have his number?  

All eyes on the big bucks of  the Yankees

During the Yankees’ post-playoff downtime, which included meetings and practice games at Yankee Stadium, General Manager Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone were flooded with inquiries on Zoom concerning several crucial lineup choices: Jason Dominguez or Alex Verdugo, who is the one taking over in left field., and who will start at first base in Anthony Rizzo’s absence—Oswaldo Cabrera or Ben Rice? In addition, there is the urgent query of how many pitchers—eleven, twelve, or possibly thirteen—will they take.

Unsurprisingly, though, neither Cashman nor Boone revealed any information. The Yankees must make some difficult choices, but in the end, it all comes down to the players rising to the occasion. Their playoff success depends on players like Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole, Giancarlo Stanton, Judge, and Soto. They can toss a coin on the starting lineup. It is those men who must bear the brunt of the workload. And when you see the numbers, it’s insane. With a combined salary of $166.8 million this season, the five players are the highest paid members of the squad. 

To put that in context, the Royals’ overall Opening Day payroll was only $115.2 million, which was the most of all the AL postseason clubs but still a significant amount less than what the Yankees are paying for their star power. It’s a classic story of high standards and much higher salaries. It’s time for those stars to shine because the pressure is on. The Yankees might just go far if they can deliver.