Aaron Judge Says Yankees Aren't 'Showing Up' amid .500 Record, Fading Playoff Hopes

As the New York Yankees continue to sink further in the standings, the reigning American League MVP took the team to task for their ongoing struggles.

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves, Aaron Judge explained the team is just "not showing up" in moments when they need to.

"That's what it comes down to, we're not showing up when we need to. Especially down the stretch right now, and we've gotten every opportunity to keep ourselves in the race. But we're not capitalizing on what we need to," he said.

The Yankees have been in a freefall since the All-Star break. They were a respectable 49-42 going into the Midsummer Classic, one game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the final playoff spot in the AL.

In 29 games after the All-Star break, the Yankees have the fifth-worst record in MLB (11-18). The New York Mets have been better than them during this span (12-18).

It's not just one thing that has gone wrong in the Bronx. The offense ranks 24th in runs scored (114), 24th in batting average (.232) and 28th in slugging percentage (.376) in the second half of the season.

The pitching staff has the worst home run-to-flyball rate (19.8 percent) and eighth-worst ERA (4.91) since the All-Star break.

Injuries have decimated the roster. Judge missed almost two months due to a toe injury suffered on June 3. Giancarlo Stanton has only appeared in 70 games this season.

Anthony Rizzo was placed on the injured list on Aug. 3 with post-concussion syndrome stemming from an incident during a May 28 game against the San Diego Padres. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s hip collided with Rizzo's head when he was trying to catch a pickoff throw at first base.

Nestor Cortes Jr. and Carlos Rodón are currently on the injured list. Gerrit Cole is the only pitcher on the roster who has made at least five starts with an ERA under 4.50.

Judge has been one of the few bright spots for the Yankees. He's still hitting well since returning to the lineup, though his power has dipped with a .250/.458/.442 slash line in 72 plate appearances over his past 17 games.

The Yankees' loss to the Braves was their fourth straight and dropped their record to 60-60 overall. It's the first time they have been at .500 since May 1 (15-15). They currently trail the Blue Jays by 6.5 games for the final wild card spot in the AL.

The last time the Yankees finished a season with a losing record was the same year Judge was born (76-86 in 1992).