Three days off between series and some chilly temperatures? No problem for Giancarlo Stanton – he stepped up to the plate and picked right back up where he left off against the Royals. Launching a massive 439-foot home run in the seventh inning, his shot helped secure a 5-2 victory over the Guardians in Game 1 of the ALCS. Talk about a hot bat – Stanton is making sure the Yankees keep the momentum rolling as they chase that championship.

Notably, Giancarlo Stanton wasn’t just about the long ball in this game, he also walked and scored during the Yankees’ impressive three-run rally in the third inning. This made him climb the ranks past none other than Aaron Judge – Stanton has officially climbed to 5th on the Yankees’ all-time list for postseason home runs, and he’s done it in style! While both he and Judge have each hit 13 homers, Stanton has achieved this impressive feat in far fewer games.

As manager Aaron Boone put it, Stanton is really “stacking quality” at-bats. “I understand how important each pitch, each moment is,” Stanton said, according to the New York Post, as he continued, “I understand that you’re not always going to be successful in those moments, but anything I can do — any bit of information or video or swings — to be in my best spot during this moment.” Indeed, his postseason performance has been nothing short of spectacular.

During the four-game ALDS, Giancarlo Stanton posted a 1.132 OPS, including that pivotal seventh-inning home run in Game 3 that really swung the momentum in the Yankees’ favor. He racked up four of the Yankees’ 14 RBIs, proving he’s not just a regular-season slugger. In fact, with 13 home runs in just 115 career postseason at-bats, all with the Yankees, Stanton is in the elite company – only Babe Ruth has a better career home run rate in the postseason. On the other hand, for Aaron Judge, the narrative of postseason struggles has followed him throughout his career.  

Giancarlo Stanton climbed postseason ranks, but will Aaron Judge’s struggles end?

One mighty slugger is stepping up to carry the Yankees’ offense, while the other is still searching for his form – Aaron Judge, outfielder for the New York Yankees. While Giancarlo Stanton added another homer to his impressive postseason tally, Judge has been struggling to find his rhythm at the plate in yet another playoff run. Even though the 32-year-old made an impact in Monday’s 5-2 victory in Game 1 of the ALCS in The Bronx, he hasn’t quite put his stamp on this postseason yet. But why? 

The dynamic duo of Giancarlo Stanton and Juan Soto has certainly eased some pressure off Aaron Judge. With both of them delivering big hits, including Soto’s homer, Judge is able to focus a bit more on finding his rhythm at the plate. But the real question is: How long will that take? He is still stuck at just one extra-base hit in five playoff games. Despite being the probable AL Most Valuable Player, the six-time MLB All-Star has just two hits in these playoffs—one of which is a double—in five games.  

Now, Aaron Judge is sitting at 2-for-15 with only one RBI. To make matters worse, since his last postseason homer, Judge has played nine games and is just 3-for-31, managing only one extra-base hit. Fair or not, the pressure is on, and many are looking for him to deliver a breakout performance to silence the critics. Do you believe he can overcome these setbacks to build a better narrative in his games ahead? Share your take below.