New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was under the spotlight on Tuesday night in the World Baseball Classic for Team U.S.A. against Team Venezuela. Well, Judge has played in big games in the past and has come up small.
In the championship game, he was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. There were a lot of MLB fans who were critical of him not showing up in the big spot in a big game once again.
Judge has been known for showing up small throughout his MLB career during high leverage spots. There have been many people have been critical of him once again for not delivering in the big spot.
Chris Russo Criticizes Aaron Judge for Not Showing Up in Big Spot Again
Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images
Chris Mad Dog Russo was on First Take on Wednesday morning talking about Judge’s 0-for-4 with three strikeouts performance for Team U.S.A. in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Team Venezuela. Despite some of the accomplishments in Judge’s career, Russo was still very critical of him.
He said, “I am [an Aaron] Judge fan. … He does not play as well on the big stage.” Judge is 33 years old and many are wondering how many high leverage games he is going to have left in his MLB career. Until he wins a World Series title with the Yankees, there are still going to be major questions about whether or not he can be clutch in the postseason.
When the World Baseball Classic happens in 2029, Judge should be on the team once again. Team U.S.A. has lost in the finals the last two times the World Baseball Classic has occurred. The only way he can redeem himself in his career at this point is to win a World Series title in New York or win the World Baseball Classic for Team U.S.A. in 2029 and deliver in a big spot for them.
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the MLB section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
