The Yankees may have to go spiritual to save Aaron Judge in this World Series

Judge entered Game 2 of the World Series on Saturday night with a postseason slash line of .167/.304/.361. He struck out 16 times in 36 at-bats. And on Saturday, things got even worse: 0-for-4, three more strikeouts — and, most notably, an empty-netter in the ninth inning when the guys around him he was referring to were doing their jobs.

The Judge we see now bears no resemblance to the Judge we've seen all year, unless you're talking about the Judge who died on May 2nd after 33 games with a slash line – .197/. 331/.393 – woke up looks awfully familiar to the one he's wearing now.

You may have heard: Judge recovers.

“Sometimes I think it’s about letting things happen rather than letting the game happen,” Judge said. “You see Gleyber (Torres) on base, you see Juan (Soto) on base, you want to get something done.”

It's time. And it should be his turn. The stars on both sides of this series have all announced themselves and delivered big moments – Juan Soto (another home run Saturday night) and Giancarlo Stanton, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

The Dodgers appeared optimistic about Ohtani's status — although Judge can reluctantly provide ample firsthand testimony that injuries sustained in this 62-year-old stadium often don't immediately reveal their full extent. It was a collision with the base of the outfield wall that ruined Judge's 2023 season and sent the Yankees reeling toward Palookaville.

If he can't change that quickly, Hollywood could be dying for the second season in a row. The tilt It could also be how the season will turn out. Right?

“We know what’s at stake,” Judge said of the team, and of himself he said, “We’re close.”

Not only is it easy to believe Judge, it's essential now. We have not yet quite reached the point where Father Herbert Raymond arrived in 1953. In addition, Raymond, a 44-year-old pastor at St. Francis, went 0-for-21. Then, still in the throes of a hangover from that failure, Hodges couldn't buy success the following spring either.

On a particularly hot Sunday, instead of preaching, Father Raymond told his congregation, “Go home and keep the commandments. And say a prayer for Gil Hodges.” Soon, Hodges began hitting again.

Maybe we're not quite like that There still. But it probably wouldn't hurt if the certainly crazy residents of Yankee Stadium added a little more spice to the ovation they gave Judge at Monday's pregame introduction. It might not be a bad idea for the Bleacher Creatures to lean in a bit when they sing his name at the top of the first part.

Every little bit helps.

“We’re going to change it in Game 3,” Judge said, and if that happens, it’s almost certain the narrative around him will have changed. That's the first step.