The New York Yankees are currently in a great mood. The team has returned to its winning ways by defeating the Oakland Athletics 4-3. However, more than that, this game gave them a glimpse of their old Aaron Judge. While All Rise still has a long way to go, he’s slowly getting his confidence back. That’s a big thing for the Bronx Bombers, as a well-performing Judge could propel this team to another level. But can Aaron Judge return to form? Giancarlo Stanton believes he will.

In the A’s game, Judge went 1-3. While that isn’t a humongous record, how he swung the bat is what matters here. In the first inning, he hit a double and scored after Stanton’s double. Interestingly, All Rise did the one thing he hasn’t been able to do for a long time: hit the opposite field. The 31-year-old hit multiple balls to the right field, and that was an encouraging sign for the Bronx Bombers.

“He’s had great at-bats throughout the season,” Stanton said about Judge in the postgame interview. “Getting deep in counts and getting on base. So it’s only a matter of time before he’s squaring up balls like tonight.” That’s an eerie foreshadowing. Even if Judge hasn’t been at his best, his improvement in getting walks has been quite noticeable. But what if the hard-hitting All Rise makes a comeback? That would certainly be an issue for the competition.

Judge is currently averaging a mere .180. The Yankees captain has only 16 hits in his last 89 at-bats. As a result, Judge’s bad form has irked many fans who’ve been booing him relentlessly during his plate appearances. However, if Judge continues with such encouraging performances, winning back the fans’ love won’t be that hard.

But for Judge, the issue runs deeper than these numbers. There are some underlying statistics where the 2022 MVP’s numbers have fallen alarmingly. That’s something that the Bronx Bombers will have to focus on.

Aaron Judge’s hard-hit struggles—a momentary lapse or a sign of things to come

According to Baseball Savant, Judge’s hard-hit rate is currently at 47.5%. That is much lower than his career average of 57.6%. More importantly, that is currently his lowest number, barring the 2020 season. On top of that, his exit velocity currently averages 93.5 mph. This is again lower than his career average of 95.6 mph. And once again, it’s Judge’s lowest number since 2020.

Something is happening to Aaron Judge’s power, and the New York Yankees need to fix it quickly. While Juan Soto has effortlessly carried the Pinstripes’ hitting lineup, they can’t just depend on him. That would just be a recreation of 2023, when the squad depended on Judge’s brilliance. And certainly, if the New York Yankees want to relive the past, they’d prefer reliving the late 90s over going back to 2023.

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Still, if yesterday was any hint, Judge is gradually improving. Giancarlo Stanton’s words could be a show of belief or a strict warning to the rivals. And now it’s up to Aaron to prove the former MVP right.