Aaron Judge's Killer Instinct is Becoming a Serious Yankees Question

The New York Yankees were eliminated early in the MLB playoffs again this season, this time losing to the Tampa Bay Rays in the Division Series.

Aaron Judge was not present in this postseason run, as the three-time AL MVP was sidelined due to a calf injury.

But would it have made any difference if he actually played?

Judge has been a full-time starter for the Yankees since 2017, and in spite of his regular-season dominance throughout that span (operative phrase: "regular season"), the Yankees have just one World Series appearance and zero championships.

It's a team sport, yes, but one would be remiss — or in la-la land — to deny that Judge has not performed up to par in October.

Yes, he was good last year, but even then, he hit just one home run. Where is the dominant, sustained playoff run like the ones Giancarlo Stanton had in 2020 and 2024? Or even like the one Ben Rice had in relatively limited time this year?

It has been conspicuously absent, and now, Yankees insider Chris Kirschner is openly wondering if Judge even cares. At least to the extent of Stanton.

During a recent appearance on WFAN, Kirschner questioned Judge's killer instinct and said that he doesn't get the sense that the lack of winning a championship bothers Judge. Whereas in the case of Stanton, Kirschner says it really weighs on him.

Let's keep in mind that Kirschner is quite arguably the best Yankees reporter around, or at the very least, he's right up there. He's seeing these players day in and day out during the season. He knows what he's looking at.

And he is under the impression that some of Judge's semi-threatening comments, like saying he wants New York to go "all in" this winter, might just be the 34-year-old saying what the fanbase wants to hear.

The funny thing is, there are some Yankees fans who have gotten a similar vibe from Judge, who is almost always seen cracking smiles during interviews and scrums regardless of the topic of discussion.

Now, in fairness, that could just be Judge's personality. He is not an in-your-face type of person. He's pretty shy, and he's reserved. But given the lack of playoff success New York has had under Judge's lead (remember: he is the captain), you do have to wonder if his perceived lack of a killer instinct is having an adverse effect on the rest of the team.

It would also explain why his bat has gone quiet in the biggest moments more often than not, whereas Stanton has a history of rising to the occasion. Rice seems to be headed in that direction, as well.

Judge is one of the best players of his generation, and he'll go down as one of the greatest players of all-time. But if he ultimately retires without a World Series ring, it will represent a massive black eye on his resume, and he will be largely to blame.