New York Yankees' Aaron Judge Must Look in the Mirror

Aaron Judge has made it clear that he is not thrilled with the direction of the New York Yankees following their latest playoff exit.

Judge didn't publicly slam the organization, but he did essentially state that he feels the Yankees need to do more. More specifically, he said they need to go "all in."

And to an extent, I understand Judge's concerns.

This is the Yankees, after all. They have 27 championships. They are the most successful franchise in the history of major sports. And yet, they have not won a World Series since 2009, and they have only participated in one Fall Classic since.

They have also been eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays, respectively, the last two years.

But should Judge be looking in the mirror more?

For starters, the three-time MVP did not play in this year's postseason due to a calf strain. He missed most of the regular season due to a rib stress fracture.

And throughout the last decade, Judge has missed extensive time. For all of the talk about Giancarlo Stanton constantly being sidelined, Judge, for some reason, has gotten a pass.

He missed significant time in 2018, 2019 and 2020. Three straight years. He missed a massive chunk of 2023. Then, there was this year.

So, in half of Judge's 10 full professional campaigns, he has been shelved for extended periods with injuries. He's injury-prone. That's a fact.

On top of that, Judge has not exactly been the greatest playoff performer. Yes, he was good last year. But where was he in previous Octobers? Essentially non-existent.

Remember in 2024 when Stanton carried the Yankees to their only World Series appearance the last 17 years? Where was Judge? Striking out regularly and dropping a fly ball in the deciding Game 5 of that World Series.

Judge has not been great in the postseason. That, also, is a fact.

It's also fair to wonder just how good of a leader Judge actually is. Not that he's bad in the locker room. He's fantastic. But does he have the fire needed out of a Yankee captain?

Perhaps there is a reason why the Yankees keep underperforming with Judge at the forefront. Maybe he isn't doing enough as a leader.

Because if we're being honest, most other great players would get criticism for constantly losing in the playoffs. For some reason, Judge avoids it.

Judge can criticize the Yankees' front office. That's valid, because things haven't been good. But at some point, he may need to look inward and wonder if maybe he is a big part of the problem.