Aaron Judge Is Slumping No More

The FanGraphs Newsletter, June 4, 2024 [READ IN BROWSER]( June 4, 2024 When we last checked in on Aaron Judge on April 24, the big slugger was scuffling, hitting just .180/.315/.348 through the Yankees’ first 24 games. He had homered just three times, and was approximating league-average production thanks mainly to his 15.7% walk rate. A smattering of fans had booed him on his own bobblehead day at Yankee Stadium, when he struck out in all four plate appearances, and the haters on social media were sure that he was washed. Since then, he’s turned his season around in emphatic fashion, destroying opponents’ pitching, taking his place atop a few key leaderboards, and helping New York assemble the AL’s best record at 42-19. Judge is now hitting .288/.417/.658, leading the majors in slugging percentage home runs (21), wRC+ (198), and WAR (4.0); he’s also in a virtual tie with Soto for the AL lead in on-base percentage. On Monday, he was [named]( the AL Player of the Month, his seventh time winning that honor and his third consecutive May doing so. In terms of both slugging percentage and wRC+, May was the best calendar month of his career: Judge’s 14 homers in May was one shy of his career high, set in September 2017. (He did not play in the team’s October 1 season finale.) Even that line undersells the rampage he’s been on, because he’s stretched a similarly strong performance across another 53 plate appearances. Here’s the split since our April 24 article: [READ MORE]( [Getting to Two Vs. Closing the Deal]( No one makes mid-plate appearance pitching changes in the majors. But the Braves have a better reason to do it than any other team. | by Ben Clemens [When All-Or-Nothing Meets All-Or-Nothing]( Does Chase Burns give up so many extra-base hits because batters are getting their money’s worth on those rare occasions they’re able to make contact? | by Michael Baumann [Player's View: The Best Game of My Life]( A dozen big leaguers recall their best-ever individual performances, from youth baseball on up. | by David Laurila [Top of the Order: Depth Has Been Key to the Brewers' Success]( Let’s run through some of Milwaukee’s unexpected contributors this season. Plus, the Mariners acquired a former top prospect and World Series winner. | by Jon Becker [Spencer Torkelson and Edouard Julien Optioned to Triple-A]( Julien may soon rule again, but Torkelson's 2024 has thrown a wrench into the works. | by Dan Szymborski [Kyle Schwarber and the Quest for an Average Average]( As the poster boy of Philadelphia’s “ball go boom” offense strives to become a jack of all trades, he runs the risk of devolving into a master of none. | by Leo Morgenstern 🎧 [Effectively Wild Episode 2172: No LOLMetsing Matter]( [DOWNLOAD THE FANGRAPHS APP]( [FanGraphs & Effectively Wild Merch Is Now Available at BreakingT!]( [ORDER HERE]( [Jeff Passan's early 2024 MLB trade deadline preview]( via ESPN ($) [The Backend of the Cardinals Bullpen is Flying High]( by Nate Schwartz, Pitcher List [Shota Imanaga is becoming a star. How did baseball not see this coming?]( via The Athletic ($) [Not sure if these Royals are legit? This might convince you]( by Mike Petriello, MLB [@fangraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [FanGraphs]( [RSS]( [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2024 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 3017 N Underwood StArlington, VA 22213 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](