Aaron Judge was asleep this post-season. The keyword being ‘was’ because he just smacked a homer against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 and made a huge comeback. What helped? Well, not just the cheers of the fans but the ghosts of Monumental Park pulled on him as per Aaron Judge’s words. In a strange event, the Cleveland Guardians manager decided to intentionally walk Juan Soto to face Judge – the same guy who has been a lion on the diamond, talking only with his bat. Not to forget the probable MVP this season.

This move might have risen the animal within him, and that’s what even Judge’s teammate Clarke Schmidt thinks about it. To face the beast in baseball, the one who crushed 58 home runs in the regular season, it takes guts—so tops on that for the Guardians. If it were any other team, just the thought might send them overthinking. But according to the manager of Guardians Stephen Vogt, he was determined to get a strategic advantage.

Tanner Bibee was struggling on the mound and gave up five hits and a walk. So, he decided to capitalize on Judge’s postseason struggles, but boy was that a mistake. Vogt thought that Judge’s penchant for hitting into double plays gave the Guardians the best chance for a double-play situation. The move blew away the mind of Schmidt, who mouthed ‘what’s going on’ to Anthony Volpe. As Judge came in, he didn’t hit a home run but settled for a sacrifice fly.

But later, it might have gotten to him, and he smacked a home run, sending the entire crowd into a frenzy. After all, Judge just made a comeback, and the move by Guardians backfired on them. Clarke Schmidt said, “I think when you walk a guy to face the best hitter in the world and you intentionally walk the guy before, it’s going to piss him off. It’s kind of like poking the bear.” But with just a handful of games remaining, walking up Judge might have been a deal-breaker for the Cleveland Guardians.

Aaron Judge’s return spells trouble for Guardians’ World Series dreams

Aaron Judge changed the entire narrative on Tuesday night. While he has had many wonderful hit nights, this just felt monumental. The way the crowd celebrated said it all. Moreover, it was his first postseason homer this season, and it was a massive shot too—a 414-foot shot. “It’s a big swing for Judgie,” Anthony Rizzo said about the Moonshot. But while Judge’s shot may bring happiness to the Yankees, tension lines to the Guardians.

The Guardians are in deep trouble if they have woken up the beast because the New York Yankees are already two games to none in the best-of-seven series of the ALCS. So, if Judge finds his regular season rhythm back and brings that power to the plate—who can stop him? Plus, then the Guardians won’t have the option to even think of facing Judge or walking Juan Soto. 

Moreover, Aaron Judge has a penchant to keep increasing pace after a comeback. It just takes one swing, and he finds his pace. Don’t be surprised if he hits another one or two huge shots in Game 3. Plus, he also has the support of Juan Soto, who is another force of nature. The entire Yankee clan is doing well, so, if you are a Cleveland Guardian fan, things are looking a little grainy right now.

Do you think Judge will hit a homer again in the next game? Let us know in the comments.