Aaron Judge’s struggles continued in the World Series, as he remained hitless after a week off. During Game 1, Judge went 0-for-2, striking out in both of his at-bats against Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Before the World Series, Judge had a disappointing performance, going 5-for-31 in the previous playoff series against the Royals and Guardians, with only a couple of late-game home runs in the American League Championship Series to show for it.
His counterpart, Shohei Ohtani, also started the game struggling, going 0-for-2, though he did send an early pitch from Gerrit Cole to the warning track, where it was caught by Judge.
Judge had an outstanding regular season, hitting 58 home runs and coming close to the Triple Crown, yet he has yet to make a significant impact in the postseason. Reflecting on the journey, Judge said, “The journey is always a tough one, but that’s the fun in all this. There were good times and bad times, but getting to this point, this is where the real fun starts. For years, as a kid, I’d watch the Yankees play and win the World Series. That excitement, the emotion, the city comes alive. It’s special. I look forward to doing that with this group.”