Shohei Ohtani silenced every bit of doubt about his postseason form with one of the most memorable performances of his career in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Dodgers’ star struck out 10 batters and hit three home runs, powering Los Angeles to a dominant win and earning the NLCS MVP.
But before that incredible night, Ohtani had been struggling through the postseason. His slow start at the plate in the NLDS and the first three NLCS games had raised a few eyebrows among fans, but all those doubts and criticisms vanished after Ohtani’s Game 4 heroics.
That difference in reaction caught the attention of former Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain, who asked fans why the Dodgers’ star doesn’t face the same criticism from the media and fans that Aaron Judge does when he struggles.
“Ok Yankees fan, question for ya,” Chamberlain wrote on X. “Before last night Ohtani had struggled at the plate. Why wasn’t it front page as much as Judge? Interested on ur opinion.”
Over his two postseason appearances, Shohei Ohtani has hit .230 with a .367 OBP and .813 OPS. Judge, in contrast, has played in eight postseasons, hitting .254 with 17 home runs and an .821 OPS across 65 games.
This year, Judge was on fire, batting .500 (13-for-26) with a 1.273 OPS, one of his best postseason runs, but the Yankees still failed to go past the Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
Soon enough, Yankees fans joined the conversation, sparking a debate over whether Ohtani deserves the same criticism as Judge.
While some Yankees fans surprsingly came in defense of Ohtani, few fans also blamed the difference on media pressure.
Check out some reactions:
“Because the Dodgers have proven they can win without Ohtani playing as well as he can. The Yankees on the other hand have never with Judge leading the way putting more pressure and attention on his performances,” one Yankees fan wrote.
“It’s simple – Judge is the focus and the team goes as Judge goes. Ohtani doesn’t need to be the driving force for them to win,” another fan commented.
“Because the Dodgers have 2 rings in the last four years. If the Yankees won it all last year, the Judge narrative would be over,” one Bronx Bombers’ fan replied.
“Because the Yankees are still held to a different standard since their dynasty years and Ohtani makes the MLB more money with the international market,” another fan pointed.
“Because he’s not a Yankee, simple as that. He was batting .158 prior to last night with 17Ks but no one cared because he’s the golden boy,” one reacted.
“New York media is way more brutal. For example, if Judges agent got caught gambling like Ohtani’s, we’d never hear the end of it,” another wrote.
“Sports, in my opinion, are much more polarizing in NY than in LA,” one fan commented.
“Feels like a very obvious answer that you should know. But I’ll say it anyway, judge has had years of postseason struggles, and Othani coming off a ring last year and playing well in those playoffs, having a bit of a slump in the playoffs doesn’t compare to judges woes,” another Yankees fan wrote.
There is no doubt that both players carry the weight of being the faces of their franchises. Ohtani’s historic Game 4 reminded everyone why he is baseball’s biggest star. On the other hand, Judge continues to carry the expectations of a city still searching for perfection every October.
The post Yankees Fans Divided After Former Pitcher Questions Why Shohei Ohtani Isn’t Criticized Like Aaron Judge For Poor Performances originally published on Total Pro Sports.