"I've heard worse" - Aaron Judge not bothered by boos from Yankees fans after lackluster performance
New York Yankees fans were left frustrated after the team suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. The Bronx faithful expressed their discontent by targeting Yankees captain Aaron Judge.
The former American League MVP has had a slow start to the 2024 regular season and Judge's struggles were evident when he struck out four pitches in the ninth inning with the score level.
Boos rang around Yankee Stadium as Judge failed to push his team into an advantage, with the Rays capitalizing in the tenth to take a 2-0 lead and eventually securing the second game of the series. Judge acknowledged the frustration of the Yankees fans after his team's shutout defeat.
"I've heard worse," Judge said, "and I'd probably be doing the same thing in this situation."
While the Yankees captain did not take the boos to heart, his teammate Nestor Cortes defended the superstar slugger and felt it was just a 'matter of time' before Judge was back to his best.
"I feel like he's done a lot for this team, a lot for this organization," Cortes said after the game. "He's going to come out [of this]. It's just a matter of time. This team is way too good to have a lot of games like today. He's going to come around. He's going to be Aaron Judge, obviously."
Aaron Judge reflects on his early struggles
Although Juan Soto has hit the ground running for his new team this season, Aaron Judge's offensive struggles are a big worry for the pennant aspirants. The Yankees captain addressed the issue after the game.
"It's still early," Judge said. "It's a long season. Just missing the pitch. Get a pitch in the zone, I got to capitalize on it because I don't get too many. And then I get hits. I think that's what it comes down to. Just don't miss your pitch when you get it and take your walks when you can, not getting anything."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone isn't too concerned about his star captain's form and feels like this is a recurring theme for great players like Judge.
"It happens all the time with greatness. Every year. And we'll scratch our heads, and then you look up in a few weeks and Aaron Judge is Aaron Judge." - Aaron Boone said.
The New York Yankees will look to take the lead in their next matchup against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday, April 21.