"I need about 500 at-bats then we can start talking” - Aaron Judge craves more opportunities at the plate after smashing milestone home run

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge silenced his doubters with a two-run home run to his team the lead in the first inning of their game against the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday. The Yankees entered the third game of the series tied at 1-1 and their offense was under considerable pressure after some lackluster performances recently. However, the New York lineup stepped up and delivered, led by Judge as always. Speaking to YES Network after the game, Judge gave his take on what he more he needs in the coming days:

"I need about 500 at-bats then we can start talking.”

While the New York Yankees recorded one of the worst seasons in franchise history last year, Aaron Judge was the only silver lining in their season. As he has done since his major league debut for them in 2016, Judge led by example but a series of injuries disrupted his season last year. Hence, both he and the Yankees are eager to put last year behind them and do better this year.

The Yankees made a strong start to the season which saw them go to the top of their division early on, but has since hit a short slump which has moved them to second. In the meantime, Judge has had an uncharacteristically slow start to the season. His two-run blast against the Athletics was only his fourth home run of the season, in which he has a .191 average. Wednesday's performance was surely a step up for the entire lineup, and they will be looking to build on it in the coming days.

Yankees GM not worried with Aaron Judge's slow start to the season

Speaking to the media ahead of the game on Wednesday, New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that he is not worried about Aaron Judge's slow start to the season.

“It’s the ebbs and flows of the game. Judge will get it going," said Cashman.

While the GM remains confident in him, there is no doubt that Judge has struggled in the first 25 games of the season. He is currently batting .191/.319/.702 with only four home runs and 13 RBIs, which puts him below average in the MLB. However, with his past record, it seems only a matter of time until he gets back to his best.