AL MVP candidates Judge Altuve couldnât be more different
Aaron Judge bat
There rarely has been a truer or more glaring example than pending AL Championship Series foes  Aaron Judge  and Jose Altuve.
That the Bombers accomplished that surprising feat â becoming just the 10th team in MLB history to overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game postseason series â with barely any offensive contribution from their breakout star feels all the more remarkable when you consider how  Judge  carried their offense during the first half and over the final month of the regular season  sandwiched around a six-week slump following the All-Star Game.
âItâs not weighing on me at all â  Judge  said Thursday night following the Yankeesâ pre-series workout. âEvery day is a new day. Itâs just tough in certain situations when you want to go out there and produce for the team and you donât get the job done  especially in a big situation like that  a Game 5.
 Aaron Judge (r.)  stands next to Astrosâ Jose Altuve. (Yi-Chin Lee/AP)
 Judge  perplexed when asked how happy  he  is for Girardi after win
But  Judge  isnât approaching this as a head-to-head matchup.
 Aaron Judge  struggled in the ALDS. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
âItâs about the Astros and the Yankees  whoâs gonna go to the World Series. Itâs just about the team right now â  Judge  said. âI think the fans are more excited about two great teams getting an opportunity to play.
Albeit not a factor in MVP determinations  since voting took place before the playoffs began   Judge  endured a dreadful division series against Cleveland.  He  registered just one hit in 20 at-bats with 16 strikeouts  a postseason record for one series  including four in three of the five games.
But  Judge  otherwise was a non-factor against the Indians  and that will have to change â the rookie should at least have to come close to matching Altuveâs production â for the Yanks to move on to the World Series and a shot at a 28th championship.
âHeâs such a unique player â Houstonâs Game 1 starter  Dallas Keuchel  said of  Judge . âFor people to say he was exposed or whatnot  I donât believe in that.
 Aaron Judge  did help Yankees in ALDS  but barely with  his  bat
The Yankees need significantly more production from  Judge  beginning Friday.  His  resurgent September â 15 homers  32 RBI and a 1.352 OPS â swayed me to believe that  Judge  had greatly narrowed the gap and might have even surpassed Altuve for MVP consideration. (No  I didnât have a vote this year). Now he needs to show his value to the Yankees more than ever.
There rarely has been a truer or more glaring example than pending AL Championship Series foes  Aaron Judge  and Jose Altuve.
That the Bombers accomplished that surprising feat â becoming just the 10th team in MLB history to overcome an 0-2 deficit to win a five-game postseason series â with barely any offensive contribution from their breakout star feels all the more remarkable when you consider how  Judge  carried their offense during the first half and over the final month of the regular season  sandwiched around a six-week slump following the All-Star Game.
âItâs not weighing on me at all â  Judge  said Thursday night following the Yankeesâ pre-series workout. âEvery day is a new day. Itâs just tough in certain situations when you want to go out there and produce for the team and you donât get the job done  especially in a big situation like that  a Game 5.
 Aaron Judge (r.)  stands next to Astrosâ Jose Altuve. (Yi-Chin Lee/AP)
 Judge  perplexed when asked how happy  he  is for Girardi after win
But  Judge  isnât approaching this as a head-to-head matchup.
 Aaron Judge  struggled in the ALDS. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
âItâs about the Astros and the Yankees  whoâs gonna go to the World Series. Itâs just about the team right now â  Judge  said. âI think the fans are more excited about two great teams getting an opportunity to play.
Albeit not a factor in MVP determinations  since voting took place before the playoffs began   Judge  endured a dreadful division series against Cleveland.  He  registered just one hit in 20 at-bats with 16 strikeouts  a postseason record for one series  including four in three of the five games.
But  Judge  otherwise was a non-factor against the Indians  and that will have to change â the rookie should at least have to come close to matching Altuveâs production â for the Yanks to move on to the World Series and a shot at a 28th championship.
âHeâs such a unique player â Houstonâs Game 1 starter  Dallas Keuchel  said of  Judge . âFor people to say he was exposed or whatnot  I donât believe in that.
 Aaron Judge  did help Yankees in ALDS  but barely with  his  bat
The Yankees need significantly more production from  Judge  beginning Friday.  His  resurgent September â 15 homers  32 RBI and a 1.352 OPS â swayed me to believe that  Judge  had greatly narrowed the gap and might have even surpassed Altuve for MVP consideration. (No  I didnât have a vote this year). Now he needs to show his value to the Yankees more than ever.