The New York Yankees continue to lose games, and concerns are growing within the fan base. Wednesday night marked their sixth straight loss, a 3–2 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. But even in the face of mounting pressure, Aaron Judge, the team’s leader and reigning AL MVP, seems to be staying steady in his approach.
Struggles Continue for Yankees and Judge
“Last two days, it’s tough to say (if we pressed enough),” Judge said postgame. “Tonight, some guys hit some balls harder at some guys. We needed a couple of those to fall, and I think it’s a different ball game… We were close tonight, just didn’t go our way.”
Aaron Judge on if the Yankees have been pressing lately
“We were close tonight, just didn’t go our way.” pic.twitter.com/Qfpr2kschL
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) June 19, 2025
That optimism from Judge comes during one of his coldest stretches of the season. The slugger is now 2-for-23 in his last six games, a rare slump for a player who’s otherwise been dominant all year. The Yankees feel it when Judge struggles, perhaps more than any other team would from one player. It’s no secret: when Judge goes, the Yankees go.
But right now, he’s stuck. And so are they.
The Yankees’ offense finally broke through on Tuesday, ending a 30-inning scoreless drought with a second-inning HR by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and another HR from Cody Bellinger in the fourth inning. It was their first lead in nearly a week. Still, it wasn’t enough, as the offense went quiet the rest of the way and failed to capitalize on several hard-hit balls.
It’s been that kind of week, frustratingly close, but never quite enough for the Yankees.
For Judge, the slump is especially concerning given how incredible his season has been otherwise. Despite the recent downturn, he remains the MVP frontrunner, leading the MLB in batting average (.366), OPS (1.192), and ranking second in home runs (26) and tied third in RBIs (60). But MVP trophies don’t help in the middle of a skid, and Judge knows that his team getting back on track starts with him.
There’s Still Time for the Yankees, but Things Seem To Be Going Downhill
The Yankees now face the very real possibility of being swept at home by the Angels. If Thursday’s finale goes the same way, it would mark their second straight series sweep, a crushing blow for a team that looked like one of the strongest in baseball not long ago.
With the Rays just 1.5 games back, the Blue Jays 2 behind, and the Red Sox continuing to gain ground, the Yankees’ division lead is hanging by a thread. The pressure is building, not just on Judge, but on the entire clubhouse.
Still, the captain hasn’t lost faith. “Everybody believes in each other,” Judge said on Wednesday. “We are feeding off each other.” They’ll need more than belief on Thursday, though. They’ll need hits, runs, and a reminder of the team they’re capable of being, before this slide gets worse than it is.