Aaron Judge shames slumping Yankees for 'lack of focus' as losing streak drags on: 'We just gotta dial it in'
The New York Yankees came into Wednesday's series finale against the Tigers in the midst of a skid. They've lost six in a row while scoring a total of 15 runs over that span. Overall, the Yankees have dropped nine of their last 11, which was sufficient to give them a losing record for the month of June.
In very much related matters, the Yankees have been without reigning back-to-back American League MVP Aaron Judge, who's been sidelined since the end of May with a stress fracture in his ribcage. Even though Judge this season hasn't quite been his vintage self, he's still been highly productive and, thus, keenly missed of late. To put a finer point on it, the Yankees are 13 games above .500 when Judge plays this season and two games below .500 when he doesn't appear. That's in keeping with much of recent history.
The 34-year-old future Hall of Famer is also the Yankees' team captain, and not surprisingly, he has some thoughts on how the club has fared of late. Judge before Wednesday's game told reporters the following about his team's recent struggles, via The Athletic:
"Well, it's not great. Just a little lack of focus. We just gotta dial it in. Our ultimate goal is to win a World Series. I think guys have to remember that every single day they show up here. We're here to win a World Series.
"That should motivate you every single day you step on that field, no matter what happens, no matter what happens the day before. 'I got a job to do.' We've got an important sign when you walk out on the field. It's the last sign you see before you're out there; it says do your job. Guys are here to do their job."
Judge is not normally an outspoken sort, which means these words carry some extra weight. Yes, the Yankees remain firmly in playoff position, but that perhaps says more about the generalized weakness of the American League this season. The Yankees also trail the Rays by 2 ½ games in the AL East, which means they're not on target to earn a first-round bye in the postseason.
No doubt, Judge's eventual return to a lineup that's also missing Trent Grisham (hamstring) and Giancarlo Stanton (calf) will help matters, but it's not yet certain when that's going to happen. The best Judge can do for now is motivate, and his recent words are no doubt designed to do just that.
Ideally for the Yankees, they'll find their way to a Judge-less turnaround in time for the key four-game road set with the Rays that begins on July 6.