2024 World Series: New York Yankees Seek Composure In Game 3

2 days ago

Forbes

New York Yankees' Aaron Judge walks back to the dugout after striking out against the Los Angeles ... [+] Dodgers during the ninth inning in Game 2 of the baseball World Series, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)

The Los Angeles Dodgers have exposed and capitalized on every weakness of the New York Yankees over the first two ball games of the 2024 World Series. Throughout the regular season, prodigious displays of power provided the Yankees with a false sense of security while downplaying noticeable flaws in baserunning and defense. Recent lapses in judgement have many questioning the baseball intelligence quotient of certain ball players and whether they can excel in high leverage situations. A competitive spirit is still present in the Yankees but they need to demonstrate composure in Game Three of the 2024 World Series. An emphasis must be placed on the importance of fundamentals while confronting stress with a calm demeanor that exudes confidence.

History Provides Encouragement To Yankees

The concept of winning a championship after losing the first two ball games of the World Series is not foreign to the Yankees. In 1996, the Atlanta Braves won the first two ball games at Yankee Stadium thanks to brilliant performances by Hall of Fame right-handed pitchers John Smoltz and Greg Maddux. The 1978 World Series against the Dodgers saw the Yankees lose the first two ball games in Los Angeles. Both World Series were won by the Yankees in six ball games. In 1956, the Yankees traveled to Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field and suffered two losses against the Dodgers but won the World Series in seven ball games.

In 11 ball games this postseason, the Yankees have achieved a +6 run differential while leaving 86 runners on base. When it comes to runners in scoring position, they are 15-for-86 which demonstrates a 17.44% success rate according to box scores on Baseball-Reference. The Yankees had the third-best pitches per plate appearance (3.99) in Major League Baseball during the 2024 regular season. They are seeing 4.01 pitches per plate appearance through Game Two of the 2024 World Series. Even though the Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals were formidable opponents, the Dodgers employ a multi-faceted approach to domination unlike anything the Yankees have experienced this postseason.

Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani slides into second base for a double past New York Yankees second ... [+] baseman Gleyber Torres during the eighth inning in Game 1 of the baseball World Series, Friday, Oct. 25, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Baserunning and defensive mistakes cannot define the Yankees’ performance in the 2024 World Series. Miscues on who’s covering second base when a baseball is hit to right field, double-cut relays, and outfield defensive positioning have become areas of concern. Let’s not forget fundamental concepts such as keeping the baseball in front of the fielders, never having your back to a defensive play and knowing the arm strength of every outfielder. The Dodgers’ aggressiveness on the base paths has forced the Yankees to play defense at an accelerated pace which has led to a series of costly physical and mental errors. The mindset of a ball club dramatically changes every time a runner moves 90 feet closer to home plate.

Offensive Struggles Of Aaron Judge

While the task isn’t impossible, it won’t be easy for the Yankees given how the Dodgers have mastered the art of execution. Mental breakdowns are the primary reason why the Yankees have been outmatched in every aspect of the first two ball games of the 2024 World Series. They need to play flawless baseball regardless of the circumstances surrounding outfielder Aaron Judge’s prolonged offensive struggles this postseason. Judge’s exploits during the regular season served as a welcomed distraction from the Yankees’ inability to play a clean brand of baseball when it came to fundamentals. Self-destructive tendencies have hindered the Yankees while the Dodgers’ unflappable determination has them two wins away from a world championship.

Judge has seen 215 pitches over 50 plate appearances this postseason according to data collected using Baseball Savant. Over 47 swinging strikes, Judge has fallen victim the most to the slider on 13 occasions. Most of the negative attention has focused on Judge’s 19 strikeouts and a slash line (batting average/on-base percentage/slugging percentage) of .150/.280/.325 and .605 on-base plus slugging. However, Judge’s bat speed is down from a regular season average of 77.2 mph to 74.36 mph based on contact and swinging strikes over 111 pitches. Judge’s 4.30 pitches per plate appearance during the postseason is higher than his 4.10 regular season average according to Baseball-Reference.

LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 25, 2024: New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) strikes out in the ... [+] first inning. Game 1 of the World Series against the Yankees at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles Friday, October. 25. 2024. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

A chorus of analysts are critiquing every aspect of Judge’s hitting mechanics and using jargon only familiar to current and former ball players. Some have said that Judge is pulling off the baseball when it comes to breaking pitches and is late on the four-seam fastball. Others have noticed that Judge’s swing path and indecisiveness is causing him to have difficulties with high spin-rate pitches. There have been questions as to whether Judge is maintaining balance in the batter’s box given how pitchers are adjusting speeds and locations in the strike zone.

Hitting mechanics are very personal and distinct in nature, especially when it comes to the 6-foot-7 Judge. An artisan with a bat who has subscribed to Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that it takes 10,000 hours to achieve mastery of a skill, Judge knows how to quiet the noise around him while paying meticulous attention to the subtle nuances in his swing. Don’t expect him to solicit feedback from anyone unless it is the Yankees’ coaching staff or Richard Schneck. As Judge’s personal hitting coach, Schneck’s input is invaluable as he could offer insights that could potentially save the Yankees from further embarrassment in the World Series.

A return home to the Bronx for at least two World Series ball games will serve as a much needed shot of adrenaline for Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees as both are in dire need of reassurance and confidence. Reality tells us the Yankees are a dangerous ball club and can still win the World Series. However, excellence currently eludes them as the Yankees are struggling with an identity crisis. Are they a high-octane offense that has just run out of gas or can the Yankees embrace adversity while slowing down the rapid pace of the first two ball games set by the Los Angeles Dodgers? While Game One was a heartbreaking loss, Game Two cannot serve as the beginning of the Yankees’ eulogy when it comes to the 2024 season.