Sometimes, a sigh of relief can immediately become a worry about what’s coming next. Aaron Judge may have felt that after the ALCS Game 5 – he finally overcame the ALCS hurdle and made it into his first World Series. But then, that meant Judge had to make that World Series appearance count. For a Yankee, winning the World Series is the only path to immortality, proven by the recently viral video of All Rise.

Aaron Judge appeared on Mookie Betts’ show a few months ago. And now that the two are getting ready to face off in the World Series, naturally, their interview is once again getting popular. But the real interesting part came when Mookie asked Judge about his Mt. Rushmore of the New York Yankees. Though Judge had to think a little, the answers that he gave didn’t really surprise anyone.

So, who were the names? The legendary Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Derek Jeter. Though, the four of them were elite players, the big reason for their immortality was undoubtedly their World Series wins. Berra won 10 – the most in baseball history. Mantle had 7, and so did Ruth (though 3 were won when he was with the Boston Red Sox). As for Jeter, he was the captain of the Yankees dynasty that won 5 World Series titles. That’s certainly something that’s in Judge’s mind.

Despite being a generational hitter, Aaron Judge’s legacy feels a little incomplete. Though many great players have never won a World Series, things are a little different for Judge. For instance, the Yankees fans demand and expect a World Series every year, and not winning it leads to a lot of noise. So, now, All Rise is stepping up to play his first Fall Classic and also to shed a big narrative that has surrounded him for the past few seasons.

Can Aaron Judge overcome the postseason choker tag?

Here’s a not-so-nice data on Aaron Judge. During the regular season, the New York Yankees captain had a batting average of .322 and his OPS was 1.159. Where’s the negative in that? That part comes now; in this postseason, Judge has averaged just .161 and his OPS is around .690. Yes, he has collected 7 walks but overall, the star is just a pale shadow of his historic regular season self. And that is a big problem, especially because it raises questions about Judge’s clutch abilities.

Though the ALCS was markedly better than the ALDS for Aaron Judge (after all, he got 6 RBIs), things are still a little shaky for him. With the rest of the team picking up slack, Judge’s downturn hasn’t been as noticeable but it won’t take long for it to become noticeable. Especially, because in the World Series they’re up against a Dodgers team whose offense has been lighting up the ballpark since the start of October (they scored 46 runs in NLCS). So, if the matchup becomes one of offense, an underperforming Judge could really prove to be a massive disadvantage for Yanks.

Perhaps, that’s why this World Series isn’t just about Judge’s New York Yankees legacy, but also his baseball legacy. Could a generational hitter like Judge find a way to ascend from his until now forgettable postseason? That’s the big question on everyone’s mind. What do you think, will the Yankees win their 28th, or will Dodgers spoil their party? Share in the comments below.