Judge Jail: The Wait Continues…

09/27/2022

By: Jeff Yoder

Aaron Judge Now Homerless in Last 6 Games; Yankees Lose to Blue Jays in Extras

Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run on Sept. 20. Every at-bat has brought fans to the stadium with phones in hand hoping to witness history. And 26 plate appearances later, they’re still waiting. Judge and the Yankees saw a seven-game win streak snapped last night against the Blue Jays (3-2) thanks to Vlad Guerrero Jr.’s walk-off single in the 10th inning. The 2-seed in the American League is nearly a lock for New York, but the record in Judge’s sights is a lingering storyline. Has he gone cold? Is the pressure getting to his head? Will he get stuck on 60? He has nine games to rake a few more record-setting jacks. Time will tell.

 

Meanwhile, the playoff picture is becoming clearer by the day…

 

MLB Playoff Picture

Eight days remain in the MLB regular season, but six teams have playoff spots locked up. Six more remain between nine teams. It’s tight in the AL East for Wild Card placement while the White Sox have dropped six straight. Things are getting spicy, so let’s put some pepper on the playoff picture.

 

American League

AL East: Yankees (94-59)

AL Central: Guardians (86-67)

AL West: Astros (101-53)

Wild Card: Blue Jays (87-67)

Wild Card: Rays (84-69)

Wild Card: Mariners (83-69)

In the Hunt: Orioles (79-73), White Sox (76-77)

 

National League

NL East: Mets (97-57)

NL Central: Cardinals (89-65)

NL West: Dodgers (106-47)

Wild Card: Braves (96-58)

Wild Card: Padres (85-68)

Wild Card: Phillies (83-69)

In the Hunt: Brewers (82-71)

 

Additional Storylines

MLB: Vladdy’s Walk-Off Hit Moves Toronto Closer to WC Berth

CBS Sports: Judge Stuck on 60 as Yankees Slugger Fails to Match Roger Maris in Loss

Sporting News: Updated MLB Playoff Bracket, Magic Numbers & More

 

Photo: Mark Blinch / Getty Images