New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge in on the verge of setting another postseason strikeout record.
With his two strikeouts against Astros starter Justin Verlander in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, Judge is up to 26 in 12 games. That matches Alfonso Soriano’s record-setting mark from 2003.
Most K in single postseason:
26+ Aaron Judge 2017
26 Alfonso Soriano 2003
22 Pat Burrell 2010
Six with 21— Doug Kern (@dakern74) October 21, 2017
Worth noting, Soriano’s strikeouts came in 17 games. And yes, he was wearing the Yankees pinstripes at that time.
Judge had previously shattered the single-series record, striking out 16 times during the team’s five-game ALDS against the Cleveland Indians. By the way, that total was more than Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn struck out in 577 plate appearances during the 1995 season.
Though he’s cut down on that pace notably in the ALCS, it hasn’t been enough to stop him from tying the collective postseason record. With the Yankees playing a Game 7 on Saturday and potentially advancing to the World Series, Judge has a chance to runaway with this record as well.
If there’s a bright side, it’s that Judge has been mixing in some key hits during the ALCS. After going a collective 1-for-24 against Cleveland, he entered Game 6 hitting .313 in the series with two homers, two doubles and six runs batted in. After Verlander exited Game 6, he connected for a majestic solo home run. That would be New York’s only run in a 7-1 loss.
The strikeouts are much easier to take when the production stays consistent. During the regular season, for example, Judge struck out 208 times. But he offset that by hitting a rookie record 52 home runs. If he comes through with a few more big hits in the postseason and the Yankees keep winning, the strikeouts will be a mere footnote in Yankees history.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!