A-Rod: Aaron Judge Needs October Glory to Be True Yankees Legend

The New York Yankees are synonymous with October glory, but for Aaron Judge, the postseason spotlight has been more shadow than shine. Former Yankees star Alex Rodriguez, no stranger to the Bronx’s sky-high expectations, says Judge needs a defining playoff moment to cement his legacy as a true franchise legend.

Judge’s regular-season stats are the stuff of pinstriped dreams—178 home runs, a 1.124 OPS, and a WAR of 30.9 since 2022. Yet, in the postseason, his bat cools to a .205 average and a .768 OPS. Rodriguez, who endured his own October struggles before delivering a World Series title in 2009, knows the weight of those numbers. “He needs a moment like that,” Rodriguez told WTFNewsRoom, reflecting on his own redemption arc after the 2004 collapse against Boston. “The talent’s there, and the Yankees give him cracks at it every year.”

The Yankees’ championship-or-bust mantra hasn’t changed, but Rodriguez, now a part-owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, sees a shift in what ‘winning’ means. “The days of four titles in five years are gone,” he said, pointing to new league dynamics like luxury taxes and competitive balance. Success now, he argues, is about building a respected organization that consistently contends.

Last week’s World Series rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers exposed the Yankees’ vulnerabilities. Dropping two of three games, including an 18-2 rout, the Bombers leaned on Judge’s solo homers for their only runs. With ace Gerrit Cole sidelined by Tommy John surgery, Rodriguez believes the Yankees can’t match the National League’s elite without a full roster. “The Dodgers have the Yankees’ number,” he said bluntly.

Judge, a homegrown hero, carries the hopes of a fanbase that reveres Derek Jeter but hasn’t fully embraced Rodriguez’s polarizing tenure. A postseason breakthrough could change that narrative—and etch Judge’s name in Yankees lore forever.