Even if he does not play the game, Aaron Judge remains a hot topic in the MLB town. Ever since his MLB debut in 2016, the New York Yankees player has constantly made headlines for his outstanding performance throughout the years. Although some injury-ridden times have held him back, overall, the outfielder has done well to establish his name. In 2022, Judge forever inked his name in history by setting a new American League record for the most home runs in a single season.

The aftermath of the achievement is well documented – the crown of AL MVP and a nine-year and $360 million deal with the Yankees. Not to mention, the title of captain for a franchise with a rich history. But what went on before the historic moment rolled around? Judge once admitted to former Yankee Alex Rodriguez the relief that the 62nd homer brought about. But he wasn’t alone in his frustration and worries because Judge’s teammates were right there, standing by him in support.

The New York Yankees avoided talking to Aaron Judge about the elephant in the room

In 2022, as Judge continued to rack up numbers as the home run leader, fans’ expectations began to mount too. After a point, the excitement seemed to have turned into nervousness and Judge just wanted to get it done. Understandably, the situation exasperated him after a point and the added anxiety didn’t help with the feat he had to achieve.

However, fortunately, Judge was not struggling by himself. His fellow Pinstripes were there to support him every step of the way, which he revealed to the LA Dodgers’ Mookie Betts in an interview. “You know it’s gonna happen but you just wanna get it over with. Even the video, like, my teammates jumping on the field, the way they’re reacting, they’re in it with me,” the Yankees captain said.

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“They kinda weren’t even talking to me for a couple of weeks either because they were like, we don’t wanna jinx this…go do your thing.” He also revealed that instead of addressing the topic or asking how he was doing, his teammates carried on normal baseball conversation. They didn’t want to add any extra stress to the situation and instead let their leader do his thing. Which, of course, Judge did on October 4, just a few weeks after matching Roger Maris’ record at 61.

However, while 2o22 was one for the history books with a stellar achievement, 2023 might go down in the opposite direction.

Judge is lagging behind on the home run chart this year

Once again, injuries have befallen the team. This is the Yankee captain’s second stint on the IL this season, injuring his right big toe after smashing into the Dodger Stadium wall. The comeback from the first injury gave the Bronx Bombers a brief period of respite at first. Those few weeks of May gave fans flashbacks to the time the Pinstripes were considered a World Series-caliber team.

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While the front office still seems determined to maintain that status, the team is failing to perform in Judge’s absence. There is no clear timeline of when he will return and once near the top of the home run chart, the outfielder is currently at number 7. Will it be too late to save the day, when, or if, Aaron Judge returns?