Aaron Judge calls out Yankees’ ‘lack of focus’ in rare pointed criticism
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- Yankees captain Aaron Judge openly criticized the team's recent six-game losing streak, attributing it to a lack of focus and reminding teammates of their goal to win a World Series.
- Defensive struggles have plagued the Yankees, with eight errors and 15 unearned runs allowed over the skid, compounded by players being forced out of position due to injuries and food poisoning.
- Offensively, the team has been historically poor, recording only 16 hits in five games—the fewest in franchise history for such a span—with Judge noting hitters are trying to do too much instead of trusting the lineup.
- Despite the slump, the Yankees still rank tied for third-best in MLB offense by weighted runs created (WRC) and anticipate reinforcements with the expected return of Trent Grisham and Ryan McMahon from the injured list.
- Judge remains sidelined with rib injuries and expressed frustration at missing games during a difficult stretch, emphasizing his desire to contribute to turning the team’s fortunes around.
