Even After Aaron Judge's Scorching Hot Start, the Yankees' Star Doesn't Feel Locked In

NEW YORK — Long after the lights had turned off at Yankee Stadium — and the virtual fans in attendance for Sunday night's game had filed toward the exits — Aaron Judge was the final player to address the media via Zoom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made electronic press conferences the norm in 2020, but for the first time this season, all parties involved would've preferred to keep Judge in isolation and at a safe distance.

Nobody wants to get that close to something — or in this case somebody — that's on fire. 

The Yankees' right fielder continued to tear the cover off the ball on Sunday night in the Bronx, launching a pair of tape-measure home runs, including a game-winner in the eighth inning, to propel New York over the Boston Red Sox. 

READ: Yankees' Aaron Judge Makes History With Two Home Runs, Including Game-Winner, Against Red Sox

As his teammate Luke Voit put it postgame, Judge is a stud that's "in a groove" and "raking." He's got six home runs in the Yankees' first eight games of the season — a feat that only Alex Rodriguez has ever accomplished before him while donning pinstripes — and leads Major League Baseball in a plethora of offensive categories.

When asked what it's like to be this locked in to start a campaign, Judge gave an answer that may very well keep opposing pitchers up all night moving forward.

"I’m not locked in yet. I’m still trying to find it," Judge said. "That’s the daily grind of baseball, searching for that locked in feeling."

Judge has homered in each of his last five games. His .903 slugging percentage isn't just the best in baseball, it's almost 300 points higher than it was during his historic rookie season in 2017.

If this isn't locked in yet, what is?

Judge isn't the type of player to pat himself on the back or boast about his latest achievement, no matter how grand the milestone. Case in point, here's the rest of his comment on what it takes for him to be locked in at the plate.

"The biggest thing for me right now is having a guy like DJ LeMahieu hitting in front of me, getting on base all the time, working counts, driving guys in, moving runners over. And then I’ve got Gleyber Torres and [Giancarlo] Stanton behind me and Stanton’s hitting .400 I feel like, hitting rockets all over the field. So, I’m in a nice little spot in the lineup. I’m just trying to really do my part."

So far this summer, that's meant paving the way to a six-game winning streak and overall 7-1 record for the Bombers, tied for the best start in franchise history. With Gerrit Cole set to make his debut in pinstripes in the Bronx on Monday, against a Phillies team that hasn't played in over a week due to the Marlins' COVID-19 outbreak, who knows how much longer the Yankees' winning ways will continue. 

"We’re just clicking on all cylinders right now," Judge said. "Our offense is feeding off of each other, our bullpen is doing their job, we’re just having fun out there ... Tough grind tonight against the Red Sox, like it usually is, but some guys came up with some clutch hits and we were able to come out with the win."

The question still stands. What would Judge's production look like if he truly felt locked in?

The slugger smiled.

"Locked in for me is if I’m going 5-for-5 every night," he explained. "I still got out a couple times, chased a couple pitches. So there’s some times where I’m not really locked in." 

As self-deprecating and critical Judge may be of his own performance during this torrent stretch to open the year, let's give him some credit. 

On Sunday, Judge hit his fifth and sixth home runs of the season. All six of them have either tied the game or given New York the lead. Every 5.2 at-bats he's gone yard, the best clip in baseball. His six homers, seven extra base hits, 10 runs, 14 RBI, 28 total bases and .903 slugging percentage are all the best in Major League Baseball entering play on Monday. Only a trio of Yankee legends have produced home run streaks stretching past five games (Mattingly, Maris and Gehrig).

Seems fair to categorize his performance thus far as locked in, right? 

If we want to get technical, we can take this a step even further. Judge was inches away from a 4-for-4 night on Sunday. 

Boston's third baseman Rafael Devers robbed Judge of a blistering base hit down the left-field line, making a spectacular play in the fourth frame. No. 99 had smoked it 92.8 mph toward the corner, per Statcast, only to have Devers make a diving stop and throw him out at first (a play that was overturned in a replay review). 

Back in the first inning, Judge had a bloop single taken away as Sunday's official scorer ruled the ball off Jose Peraza's glove an error. Factor in a walk in the sixth and Judge nearly was on base all five times against Boston on Sunday night.

Considering the injury to Judge's right rib that would have sidelined the slugger had Opening Day proceeded on schedule in March — along with his neck stiffness that kept him on the shelf for a few days in Yankees' Summer Camp — manager Aaron Boone is surely overjoyed to have a healthy Aaron Judge at his disposal. 

The skipper, however, agreed with his starting right fielder. He said that although he's "lit another fuse" to start this season, he's still approaching his full potential. 

"There’s just been an intensity level to his work, an energy level to the work he’s been able to do and he’s just a great player that you can tell is feeling really good and I think continuing to actually get all the way locked in at the plate," Boone said.

READ: Masahiro Tanaka Makes First Start Since Line Drive Off Head, Paves Way to Victory Over Red Sox

Again, in the words of Luke Voit, Judge is the kind of player that you "don’t want to take your eyes off when he’s hitting." Only time will tell what the next few weeks hold for No. 99. 

One thing is for certain. In Judge's eyes, the team will always come first.

"I’ve got my own personal goals and achievements that I want to accomplish each and every year but nothing comes before the team, what I can do for the team and what I can do for the team on the defensive and offensive side," he said. "Whenever my name gets called and I need to drive somebody in, I’m going to try and do it."

If he stays this hot all season long, those championship aspirations that he's been striving for these last few years don't seem too far out of reach.

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For more from Max Goodman, follow him on Twitter @MaxTGoodman. Follow ITP on Twitter @SI_Yankees and Facebook @SIYankees