Yankees Icon CC Sabathia Compares Aaron Judge to Alex Rodriguez Amid Criticism of Star's Clutch Play

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has received criticism for his play in big games, and that only got louder after his struggles during the World Baseball Classic final, when he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts in Team USA's 3-2 loss to Venezuela.

On Wednesday, former Yankees starting pitcher and Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2025 member CC Sabathia compared Judge to ex-Bronx Bomber star third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who also had a reputation for coming up short in the clutch in the playoffs before a breakout 2009 postseason.

"I think the most accurate comp is A-Rod, and you know, Judge and A Rod having so much success in the pinstripes, people perceive them not to be the clutch player that everybody wants them to be in October. I thought Judge had a great October last year. I think he's going to have one of those Octobers where he hits 10 homers, like A-Rod did in '09, and that's what propelled us to win the World Series. And I think until he does, people are gonna compare him to whoever in any other sport that people perceive to be not clutch."

Sabathia made his remarks during an interview on the Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, who asked whether he thought Judge might compare to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, a superstar who has done well individually in the playoffs, although his team has gone just 8-7 without a Super Bowl appearance.

Regarding Sabathia's comparison, Rodriguez had some rough Octobers in the playoffs with just seven hits in 44 at-bats from 2005-2007. After the Yanks missed the playoffs in 2008, they returned in 2009, when Rodriguez exploded for six homers, a .365 batting average and 1.308 OPS in 2009 en route to a World Series title.

Judge hasn't been great in the playoffs for the most part. Over a four-postseason stretch (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024), Judge hit just .160 (.648 OPS) with 45 strikeouts in 141 plate appearances.

He fared much better in 2025, though, hitting .500 (1.273 OPS) over 26 at-bats. New York bowed out to the Toronto Blue Jays in the American League Division Series because the hitting around Judge slumped and the starting pitching largely could not contain the Toronto Blue Jays, but the three-time American League MVP did his part.

However, the Team USA captain had a tough showing in the knockout portion of the WBC with two hits and five strikeouts in 11 at-bats.

Judge has been sensational throughout his Yankee career with seven All-Star Games, five Silver Sluggers, a batting title and 368 home runs, among other accolades. He's missing a World Series ring, but every season brings another chance to get another one.

The Yankees' quest for their 28th title begins Wednesday when they visit the San Francisco Giants.