{"id":15916,"date":"2025-09-21T11:29:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-21T18:29:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/?p=15916"},"modified":"2025-09-21T11:29:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-21T18:29:05","slug":"legacy-of-aaron-judge-doesnt-depend-on-mvp-award","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportrelay.com\/mlb\/2025\/09\/21\/legacy-of-aaron-judge-doesnt-depend-on-mvp-award\/","title":{"rendered":"Legacy of Aaron Judge Doesn’t Depend on MVP Award"},"content":{"rendered":"

With only seven games left in the regular season, Aaron Judge<\/a> is once again in the thick of the American League MVP race. The owner of a .329 batting average, 49 home runs, and an OPS of 1.129, Judge has made quite a case for his third MVP award. Of course, others have done the same, especially Seattle Mariners<\/a> catcher Cal Raleigh<\/a>. As a switch-hitter with 57 home runs and a 6.9 WAR at baseball\u2019s hardest position, Raleigh has certainly made his own case. Even if Aaron Judge doesn\u2019t win MVP, his legacy will remain the same. But if he conquers his postseason demons, it will change everything.<\/p>\n

Postseason Struggles<\/h2>\n

The postseason has not been kind to Judge. In his playoff career, the two-time MVP has a batting average of .205 and an OPS of .768. These numbers don\u2019t come from a small sample size either, as Judge has done this in 58 postseason games.<\/p>\n

Like any good hitter, Judge has had his moments. In game three of the 2024 ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians<\/a>, Judge tied the game with a two-run home run in the 8th inning. In the 2022 ALDS against those same Guardians, Judge mashed a second-inning solo shot in a winner-take-all game five to propel New York forward in October. Even in his second postseason, Judge started the scoring for the Yankees with a two-run home run against the Athletics<\/a> in the 2018 AL Wild Card game, a game they wound up winning 7-2.<\/p>\n

Despite these occasional heroics, it\u2019s hard to see past Judge\u2019s overall reputation in October. The most concerning part, however, is that Judge\u2019s best regular-season work often ends in his worst postseason performance. After winning his first AL MVP in 2022, Judge hit .139 with 15 strikeouts in nine games that postseason; mind you, that was the same regular season he hit an AL record-breaking 62 home runs. Fresh off his second MVP in 2024, Judge hit .184 in 14 postseason games. No matter which way you look at it, Judge has been a shell of himself in October.<\/p>\n

What Judge Needs<\/h2>\n

Derek Jeter<\/a> is regarded as one of the best Yankees in history. Is it because he got to 3,000 hits? No. Is it because he made numerous flashy grabs at shortstop? Negative. Despite his consistent excellence, Jeter always came through in October. In 158 career postseason games, Jeter hit .308 with five World Series titles and a World Series MVP award. At 33, it\u2019s unrealistic to think Judge can match Jeter\u2019s playoff performance. However, he needs a fantastic postseason, not another MVP, to become an all-time Yankee great.<\/p>\n

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Embed from Getty Images<\/a>