Yankees Clinch AL East Title but Aaron Judge Does Not Homer

“You guys are really pushing for an off day for Judge,” Boone joked to reporters. “You usually get on me for resting him.”

But there is reason to think a rest could help. As fans attentively wait for Judge to break Roger Maris’s A.L. record, and networks around the country cut into their regular broadcasts to peek at his at-bats, it is interesting to note how he has responded to rest this season.

In the eight games he has played following a rest, his batting average is .333 (12 for 36) with six home runs, according to statistics compiled by the YES Network. He hit all of those home runs in three of the games after a rest, swatting two each on May 1, May 17 and June 22.

For the team, winning the division seemed almost predestined earlier in the season after the Yankees ran up a seemingly insurmountable lead in the standings. Through July 9, the Yankees’ advantage was 15 games ahead of the next closest rival. But an August swoon carried into early September, when the Yankees lost 20 of 29 games, chiseling that lead down to 3 ½ games through Sept. 9.

“Certainly there were days for me personally, where it was frustrating,” Boone said of the slump. “But there was always that belief that we would get through it.”

They did. September has been much kinder, thanks in large part to Judge, who for long stretches was their most productive hitter. They have also seen injured players like Anthony Rizzo return to health and productivity, while others, like Gleyber Torres, have contributed, too. Torres has now reached safely in 20 straight games and the rookie Oswaldo Cabrera was batting .306 with four doubles and four home runs in his previous 14 games heading into Tuesday.

“I think they did a really nice job of never really getting too emotional or overwhelmed by it,” Boone said of the slump. “They did a really nice job of weathering the storm, keeping their blinders on, keep working and having the confidence that it would turn.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/27/sports/baseball/yankees-clinch-al-east.html