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New York has seen athletes like Igor Shesterkin before. They come to the city heralded by years of hype. Their arrival marks a new era for their teams. Unfortunately, these young stars get chewed up and spit out by an unrelenting, impatient monster of a market. But some, like Shesterkin, exceed those expectations, enchant the city and become sensations.

Which is why, after just 108 career NHL games, “Igor-mania” is running wild in NYC.

The 26-year-old was the NHL’s top goaltender last season, winning the Vezina Trophy and finishing third in the MVP race. He has become the most popular member of the New York Rangers, despite playing only four seasons. He has quickly entered that pantheon of elite New York sports stars, sliding into the spot vacated by Henrik Lundqvist — one icon comfortably taking over for another, like the Mario Lemieux era fading into the Sidney Crosby years in Pittsburgh.

“I am amazed that you can go from the Garden chanting ‘Hen-rik’ to ‘I-gor.’ He’s as good as advertised,” Mike Richter told me this week.

Richter is second to Lundqvist in wins and games played as a Ranger but cemented his legacy by breaking a 54-year curse for the franchise in back-stopping them to the 1994 Stanley Cup championship. His number hangs from the Madison Square Garden rafters, right next to Lundqvist’s. Perhaps the only flaw in his career was that he didn’t have a chantable first name.

“Yeah, you need that two syllable thing,” he said, with a laugh. “They went with ‘Rich-ter.’ It was fine. I’ll take anything.”

They chanted “Ed-die!” and “Beez-er!” too. Perhaps it has been obscured by their lack of Stanley Cup success — one Stanley Cup since 1940, as any Islanders or Devils fan can quote from memory — but the Rangers have one of the NHL’s strongest goaltending legacies.

Starting in 1953, the Gump Worsley era led to the Ed Giacomin era; John Davison was the bridge to the John Vanbiesbrouck era, which overlapped with the Richter era; Richter retired in 2003, and Lundqvist arrived in 2006; Lundqvist’s last season with the Rangers was 2020, which is when Shesterkin arrived.

“Different personalities and different styles, but the common denominator is that we’re all competitors,” Richter said. “I think it’s a testament to how good their drafting is. You know, you don’t pull Henrik Lundqvist out of the seventh round without doing a little homework. Sometimes you get lucky, but there’s a pattern there.”

Richter spent all 14 years of his NHL career with the Rangers. He has been in Shesterkin’s skates before as a highly hyped novice goalie, finishing third in the Vezina voting as a rookie in 1990-91.

“Sometimes there’s an eyeroll about how much media coverage there is for New York teams. But with that comes a lot of challenges,” he said. “That’s part of the kind of bargain of playing in New York. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I know lots of athletes are hesitant to come to New York. Once they do, they recognize what an incredible place it is to play and to live. And that the people, you know, surprisingly don’t eat their babies or whatever. These are great people that have a lot of demand of their teams and are passionate. Good or bad, they’re going to let you know how they feel.”

So far, it has been a honeymoon for Shesterkin in New York. He earned his “I-gor!” chants by winning 68 of his first 108 NHL games. His .935 save percentage and 2.07 goals-against average last season led the NHL en route to the Vezina. He followed that with a playoff performance that dragged the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals, with a .929 save percentage.

“He stole some games last year that we had no business being in,” Rangers forward Ryan Reaves told me. “You need a goalie like that for deep playoff runs.”

Reaves played four years with Marc-Andre Fleury and said Shesterkin is “up there with him” when it comes to those mind-boggling saves you see when they’re locked into a game. He said that effort starts well before those games.

“I always say that you’ve got a good goalie when he’s battling on second and third pucks in practice,” Reaves said. “I’ve played with goalies where you take the first shot, the rebound goes in front and he really doesn’t care. Shesty will battle. I think that’s why he’s so good. He treats every puck like it’s never going in his net.”

If there’s one common rejoinder about Shesterkin from his Rangers teammates, it’s that competitive fire. Good goalies don’t want opponents to score on them. Elite goalies truly believe that opponents never should.

“He does take it personally,” Reaves said.

The Rangers have learned to live with that intensity. There’s a Jekyll and Hyde aspect to Shesterkin, based on whether or not he’s playing.

“Depends on the day, I guess,” Reeves said, smiling. “No, he’s a great guy. It’s just on game days, he’s definitely quiet. He’s a goalie that needs to focus. Don’t talk to him. Stay out of his way. Don’t be yelling at him or anything like that. Unless you’re releasing him.”

Reaves is referring to a ritual built around Shesterkin as the Rangers are ready to hit the ice. It was a bit the veteran winger started in Vegas that he carried over to New York. Shesterkin stands in front of his teammates as they wait inside the locker room hallway. Reaves then screams, “SHESTY: RELEASE USSSSSSSS!” and the goalie leads the Rangers to the rink.

Naturally, it has inspired its own T-shirt.

“Igor-mania” isn’t just about his stats. It has also been sparked by the panache with which he plays and the inherent goofiness he inspires from teammates.

“He’s awesome. His personality is awesome in and around the rink,” defenseman K’Andre Miller said. “He’s a quiet guy obviously — doesn’t speak that much English. But he’s opened up a good amount the last couple of years.”

Miller said the language barrier — Shesterkin’s English has improved, but he still uses a team-provided interpreter — make him more endearing.

“I think that adds to his goofiness, not knowing those social cues or a couple of words,” he said.

For defenseman Ryan Lindgren, who has played with Shesterkin in the Rangers organization since the goalie arrived in North America, Shesterkin’s good nature has allowed him to thrive in a difficult market.

“It’s a big thing for goalies. Don’t overstress. Be big on game days, and on off days, you let it go,” he said. “There’s a lot of pressure being a goalie and then playing in New York as well. That’s why it’s good that he’s having fun, not putting too much pressure on himself.”

But personality didn’t primarily make Shesterkin a star. Don La Greca, co-host of “The Michael Kay Show” on ESPN Radio in New York, draws a comparison with another local athlete in that regard: New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom.

“I don’t believe their personalities made them stars,” La Greca told me. “Both did it with their play. Both went from zero to 60 in a millisecond. Both did well in the postseason early in their careers.”

I asked La Greca how Shesterkin might surpass the accomplishments of Richter and Lundqvist, the two best Rangers goalies of the past 30 years.

“He has to win. Richter got the Cup. Hank had his looks and leadership along with his play to win people over,” La Greca said. “However, another way for Igor is his play with the puck. Mark my words: He will score a goal.”

Hopefully he does, and hopefully it happens at the Garden. In full disclosure, I was infected by “Igor-mania” while covering the Rangers’ playoff run last season. I’d put him right there with Connor McDavid, Cale Makar and Alex Ovechkin as players I’d pay to watch for their sheer entertainment value. It’s the way he makes those saves. It’s the way he handles the puck. It’s all the things that earn him those “I-gor!” chants echoing through the rafters where many of his predecessors in the Rangers’ crease have their numbers hanging.

You can feel it when an athlete has forged a bond with New York City. When they’re on a first-name basis with fans. When everyone knows that as long as they’re in the lineup, good things are possible.

“You go into every game knowing that you have a shot,” Reaves said. “If you’re in the middle of the game and he’s getting shelled and the boys don’t have it that night, then you’re like, ‘OK, we’ve gotta pick it up. But Shesty’s got us right now.'”

And New York’s got “Igor-mania” right now, too.

Jersey Foul of the week

From Jeff Veillette:

This P.K. Subban nameplate with a Carey Price number might be a confusing foul. But given their tight friendship as Montreal Canadiens teammates — remember the triple low-five? — perhaps this is a tribute jersey to the duo’s legacy for the bleu, blanc et rouge.

Video of the Week

If you’re not familiar with the Paul Marner discourse, he’s the father of Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner and has been a participant in several Toronto media news cycles.

In 2018, he spoke with The Athletic about Mitch and said, “It drives our family nuts when we hear you guys all talk about who should be the captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Mitch never hardly gets any consideration,” while comparing his on-ice temperament to that of Hockey Hall of Famer Doug Gilmour.

He was prominently mentioned by fans during Mitch Marner’s contract talks with the Leafs, as they believed he was feeding information to local media.

With that context, I loved this aside from Mitch Marner on Tuesday, as the Leafs continued to struggle. When asked if friends and family know not to inundate the players with what has been said about them in the media, Marner said, “None of us really kind of read it. … I mean, I guess my father does.”

This video demands a 40-minute podcast by psychology and body language experts, immediately.

Winners and losers of the week

Winner: Erik Karlsson

It might not last and it’s around three years too late for the San Jose Sharks, but it’s really awesome to see Karlsson playing at his Norris Trophy-level, point-per-game dominance again.

Jeff Marek asked me during a radio hit if Karlsson is a Hall of Famer. He had a six-year stretch that was Hall of Fame-worthy. As Eric Lindros showed, that might be all you need to earn your plaque.

Loser: St. Louis Blues

GM Doug Armstrong felt the need to answer for his team’s 3-5-0 start, which has inexplicably seen the NHL’s third-best scoring team from last season (3.77 goals per game) become the NHL’s worst-scoring team this season (2.38). Ryan O’Reilly has one point in eight games — think he misses David Perron? Jordan Kyrou has three goals but has gone scoreless in six of eight games and is a minus-13.

The Western Conference is too good to stumble around for too long. See also: Predators, Nashville.

Winner: Lindy Ruff

Has a coach ever gone from having fans chanting for his firing at the start of the season to being a Jack Adams Award finalist by the end of the season? Because if the New Jersey Devils keep rolling, that could be Ruff’s tale for 2022-23.

Loser: Barry Trotz’s intentions

Trotz let it be known that he would be open to a return to coaching by December and told the “Cam and Strick” podcast that he would be interested in coaching an Original Six team. Given that four of those six have first-year head coaches and the Rangers have Gerard Gallant. … Well, needless to say, Trotz sent Toronto into a tizzy.

He clarified his comments with Bob McCown, saying that he just never had the chance to coach an Original Six team before and that it wasn’t a Toronto-specific comment.

Which meant he forgot the No. 1 rule in hockey media: Everything is about the Leafs.

Winner: Boston Bruins Winter Classic logo

The wordmark is cool and unique. But as many Boston fans told me, the reason to celebrate this Fenway Classic logo is the return of … ahem … “meth bear.”

Loser: Pittsburgh Penguins Winter Classic logo

While I respect the history behind using the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates logo as inspiration for the Penguins, their previous outdoor game jerseys have featured a tiny penguin in a little scarf. Anything else is a letdown.

Winner: Mullett Arena

Say what you will about the temporary home of the Arizona Coyotes — a college hockey arena on the campus of Arizona State University — but all the players who have competed there rave about the quality of the ice and the liveliness of the boards. “The ice was great. It was unbelievable. Even for warm-ups. It was awesome,” Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti said.

Loser: Remaining at Mullett Arena

With the Tempe arena issue likely headed to the voters after the city council, and with the specter of potential litigation always looming, it’s looking like the Coyotes are going to have to pick up that optional fourth year in a college arena. Which is rough.

Puck headlines

  • The Sportico NHL franchise valuations were an interesting read. There are 10 teams valued at over a billion dollars. I would not have expected the Jets to be more valuable than 10 other NHL teams, but here we are.

  • John Tortorella has Sheldon Keefe’s back against the Toronto media: “I hope he jams it to you all, quite honestly.” Ouch!

  • What is going on with Shane Wright and the Seattle Kraken? “Given Wright’s main obstacle seems his lack of experience facing fully grown men, it’s tough to see how another season against players mostly 19 and under would help his development.”

  • Good piece by Stephen Whyno on how Bruce Boudreau has adapted through the years as an NHL head coach.

  • Getting to know PHF MVP Kennedy Marchment of the Connecticut Whale.

  • The Ottawa Senators are for sale, and the LeBreton Flats arena project holds the key to their future.

  • Really liked this piece on the current state of the Maple Leafs. “I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to watching this team. I still do watch, and sometimes I don’t even end up regretting it. But these days, with this team and its history, it feels like a slog. It’s duty, or force of habit. The wins don’t matter and the losses all blend together, so what are we doing here?”

  • How the Vancouver Canucks snagged Cobie Smulders for their pregame hype video. This reminds us of our favorite “How I Met Your Mother” moment, when Robin brags about meeting Mason Raymond and Barney proclaims is “the opposite of name dropping.”

From your friends at ESPN

Yours truly and Arda Ocal have taken our preview show “The Drop” and turned it into a weekly YouTube streaming show. Check out our Phil Kessel celebration, Roman Josi interview and much more.

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No ‘clear-cut’ Cup favorite as Panthers eye No. 3

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2 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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No 'clear-cut' Cup favorite as Panthers eye No. 3

Bookmakers across the sportsbook marketplace don’t see a consensus Stanley Cup favorite as the Florida Panthers gear up to attempt a very rare NHL three-peat.

The Carolina Hurricanes, Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers are the co-favorites (+800) at ESPN BET, with the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Panthers at +900, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at +1000. However, no major American sportsbook has the same combination of solo or co-favorites, with Florida and Vegas taking the top billing at some shops.

“The way I look at it, there’s no real clear-cut, short favorite,” DraftKings Sportsbook director Johnny Avello told ESPN. “This year, it’s more wide open at the top, and then you have a whole second tier of teams that are in that 20-to-40 range. There’s another 10 teams there. Could the Stanley Cup winner come from there? Absolutely. But the top tier has eight teams that we believe will contend for the title.”

The last preseason Stanley Cup favorite to win it all was Colorado (+600) in the 2021-22 season.

The Panthers opened as one of the favorites to win the Cup immediately following their second straight championship. They were +600 solo favorites by mid-September following offseason contract extensions for Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett — despite offseason surgery for superstar Matthew Tkachuk, who is expected back before the new year.

However, a training camp knee injury to captain Aleksander Barkov, which is expected to keep him out for the entire regular season, if not longer, derailed Florida’s Stanley Cup lines at most books. Several operations immediately dropped the team’s championship odds, with ESPN BET briefly lengthening them to +1000.

Still, action on the Cats has remained robust, with ESPN BET reporting its highest portion of bets (17.1%) and handle (21.4%) backing them to three-peat, while BetMGM says the team’s 13.8% handle is the second-highest in the market. Some bookmakers, such as Karry Shreeve, the head of hockey at Caesars Sportsbook, refused to even dethrone the Panthers as favorites, noting that Barkov and Tkachuk’s injuries have more effect on the team’s regular-season odds.

“We’re not ready to drop them in price significantly, at least for the Stanley Cup, just because I’m not convinced who’s going to fill their spot [in the playoffs],” Shreeve told ESPN. “So long as Florida’s getting into the playoffs again, as far as right now, not knowing anything else, they’re still, to me, the favorite. Not by a lot, but still a favorite, and not a team we’re willing to push out in price just yet.”

Several sportsbooks, including DraftKings and ESPN BET, are instead high on the Hurricanes, even though bettors are backing them at a relatively low clip in terms of both the number of tickets and money wagered.

“Carolina is one of the most consistently dominant teams we have seen in recent years, having recouped some talent over the summer as they look to make another deep run,” ESPN BET senior director Adrian Horton said by email. “Patrons will likely have their postseason struggles in mind, but it took the Panthers at full steam to eliminate them. We fully expect Carolina to be back battling in the playoffs.”

In the favorites tier, bettors are more focused on the Avalanche, who have garnered the third-highest handle at BetMGM and ESPN BET. Beyond the first tier, many patrons are keying on the Toronto Maple Leafs (+1600), who have taken the most tickets and money at BetMGM.

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Expert picks for the 2025-26 NHL season: Stanley Cup, division winners, awards

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4 hours ago

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October 7, 2025

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Expert picks for the 2025-26 NHL season: Stanley Cup, division winners, awards

The 2025-26 NHL season begins Tuesday with a tripleheader on ESPN: Chicago Blackhawks–Florida Panthers at 5 p.m. ET (including the Stanley Cup banner-raising), Pittsburgh Penguins–New York Rangers at 8 p.m., and Colorado Avalanche–Los Angeles Kings at 10:30 p.m.

But we’re looking beyond those contests.

Will the Panthers three-peat as Stanley Cup champions? Which teams will finish the season atop the division standings? And which players will take home the major individual awards?

We’ve gathered our cross-platform ESPN hockey family together to predict the winners of each division, along with the Stanley Cup champion and the players who will win all of the hardware.

Dive deep on all 32 teams
Lapsed fan’s guide to the season
Bold predictions for every club
Fantasy hockey hub page
Goalie mask guide for 2025-26

Atlantic Division

Sean Allen: Maple Leafs
John Buccigross: Lightning
Stormy Buonantony: Lightning
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Maple Leafs
Sach Chandan: Lightning
Meghan Chayka: Lightning
Ryan S. Clark: Lightning
Ray Ferraro: Lightning
Emily Kaplan: Lightning
Tim Kavanagh: Senators
Rachel Kryshak: Lightning
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Lightning
Steve Levy: Maple Leafs
Vince Masi: Lightning
Victoria Matiash: Lightning
Sean McDonough: Lightning
AJ Mleczko: Lightning
Mike Monaco: Lightning
Arda Öcal: Lightning
T.J. Oshie: Lightning
Kristen Shilton: Maple Leafs
P.K. Subban: Lightning
John Tortorella: Panthers
Bob Wischusen: Lightning
Greg Wyshynski: Lightning

Totals: Lightning (19), Maple Leafs (4), Senators (1), Panthers (1)

Metropolitan Division

Sean Allen: Devils
John Buccigross: Hurricanes
Stormy Buonantony: Hurricanes
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Hurricanes
Sach Chandan: Devils
Meghan Chayka: Hurricanes
Ryan S. Clark: Hurricanes
Ray Ferraro: Hurricanes
Emily Kaplan: Hurricanes
Tim Kavanagh: Devils
Rachel Kryshak: Hurricanes
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Hurricanes
Steve Levy: Devils
Vince Masi: Hurricanes
Victoria Matiash: Devils
Sean McDonough: Rangers
AJ Mleczko: Hurricanes
Mike Monaco: Hurricanes
Arda Öcal: Devils
T.J. Oshie: Capitals
Kristen Shilton: Hurricanes
P.K. Subban: Capitals
John Tortorella: Devils
Bob Wischusen: Hurricanes
Greg Wyshynski: Hurricanes

Totals: Hurricanes (15), Devils (7), Capitals (2), Rangers (1)

Central Division

Sean Allen: Stars
John Buccigross: Avalanche
Stormy Buonantony: Avalanche
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Avalanche
Sach Chandan: Avalanche
Meghan Chayka: Avalanche
Ryan S. Clark: Avalanche
Ray Ferraro: Stars
Emily Kaplan: Avalanche
Tim Kavanagh: Avalanche
Rachel Kryshak: Stars
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Stars
Steve Levy: Stars
Vince Masi: Avalanche
Victoria Matiash: Stars
Sean McDonough: Stars
AJ Mleczko: Stars
Mike Monaco: Avalanche
Arda Öcal: Stars
T.J. Oshie: Stars
Kristen Shilton: Stars
P.K. Subban: Wild
John Tortorella: Wild
Bob Wischusen: Avalanche
Greg Wyshynski: Avalanche

Totals: Avalanche (12), Stars (11), Wild (2)

Pacific Division

Sean Allen: Oilers
John Buccigross: Oilers
Stormy Buonantony: Golden Knights
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Golden Knights
Sach Chandan: Golden Knights
Meghan Chayka: Golden Knights
Ryan S. Clark: Golden Knights
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Golden Knights
Tim Kavanagh: Golden Knights
Rachel Kryshak: Oilers
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights
Steve Levy: Kings
Vince Masi: Golden Knights
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights
Sean McDonough: Oilers
AJ Mleczko: Golden Knights
Mike Monaco: Oilers
Arda Öcal: Golden Knights
T.J. Oshie: Golden Knights
Kristen Shilton: Golden Knights
P.K. Subban: Oilers
John Tortorella: Golden Knights
Bob Wischusen: Golden Knights
Greg Wyshynski: Oilers

Totals: Golden Knights (17), Oilers (7), Kings (1)

Stanley Cup

Sean Allen: Panthers
John Buccigross: Hurricanes
Stormy Buonantony: Golden Knights
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Jets
Sach Chandan: Avalanche
Meghan Chayka: Avalanche
Ryan S. Clark: Stars
Ray Ferraro: Golden Knights
Emily Kaplan: Panthers
Tim Kavanagh: Stars
Rachel Kryshak: Stars
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Golden Knights
Steve Levy: Kings
Vince Masi: Avalanche
Victoria Matiash: Golden Knights
Sean McDonough: Oilers
AJ Mleczko: Avalanche
Mike Monaco: Oilers
Arda Öcal: Maple Leafs
T.J. Oshie: Oilers
Kristen Shilton: Stars
John Tortorella: Devils
Bob Wischusen: Panthers
Greg Wyshynski: Avalanche

Totals: Avalanche (5), Golden Knights (4), Stars (4), Panthers (3), Oilers (3), Hurricanes (1), Jets (1), Kings (1), Maple Leafs (1), Devils (1)

Hart Trophy (MVP)

Sean Allen: Kirill Kaprizov
John Buccigross: Connor McDavid
Stormy Buonantony: Jack Eichel
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Connor McDavid
Sach Chandan: Nathan MacKinnon
Meghan Chayka: Nathan MacKinnon
Ryan S. Clark: Kirill Kaprizov
Ray Ferraro: Nikita Kucherov
Emily Kaplan: Nathan MacKinnon
Tim Kavanagh: Nathan MacKinnon
Rachel Kryshak: Connor McDavid
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Nikita Kucherov
Steve Levy: Connor McDavid
Vince Masi: Connor McDavid
Victoria Matiash: Nikita Kucherov
Sean McDonough: Connor McDavid
AJ Mleczko: Connor McDavid
Mike Monaco: Connor McDavid
Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid
T.J. Oshie: Connor McDavid
Kristen Shilton: Auston Matthews
P.K. Subban: Kirill Kaprizov
John Tortorella: Kirill Kaprizov
Bob Wischusen: Connor McDavid
Greg Wyshynski: Nathan MacKinnon

Totals: McDavid (11), MacKinnon (5), Kaprizov (4), Kucherov (3), Eichel (1), Matthews (1)

Art Ross Trophy (points leader)

Sean Allen: Connor McDavid
John Buccigross: Connor McDavid
Stormy Buonantony: Nikita Kucherov
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Connor McDavid
Sach Chandan: Nikita Kucherov
Meghan Chayka: Connor McDavid
Ryan S. Clark: Mitch Marner
Ray Ferraro: Connor McDavid
Emily Kaplan: Nathan MacKinnon
Tim Kavanagh: Nikita Kucherov
Rachel Kryshak: Connor McDavid
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Nikita Kucherov
Steve Levy: Kirill Kaprizov
Vince Masi: Connor McDavid
Victoria Matiash: Nikita Kucherov
Sean McDonough: Connor McDavid
AJ Mleczko: Mitch Marner
Mike Monaco: Connor McDavid
Arda Öcal: Connor McDavid
T.J. Oshie: Nikita Kucherov
Kristen Shilton: Nathan MacKinnon
P.K. Subban: Connor McDavid
John Tortorella: Kirill Kaprizov
Bob Wischusen: Connor McDavid
Greg Wyshynski: Nathan MacKinnon

Totals: McDavid (12), Kucherov (6), MacKinnon (3), Marner (2), Kaprizov (2)

Rocket Richard Trophy (goals leader)

Sean Allen: Auston Matthews
John Buccigross: Auston Matthews
Stormy Buonantony: Connor McDavid
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Auston Matthews
Sach Chandan: Leon Draisaitl
Meghan Chayka: Leon Draisaitl
Ryan S. Clark: Nikita Kucherov
Ray Ferraro: Leon Draisaitl
Emily Kaplan: Leon Draisaitl
Tim Kavanagh: Kirill Kaprizov
Rachel Kryshak: Leon Draisaitl
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Auston Matthews
Steve Levy: Leon Draisaitl
Vince Masi: Brayden Point
Victoria Matiash: Auston Matthews
Sean McDonough: Leon Draisaitl
AJ Mleczko: Auston Matthews
Mike Monaco: Auston Matthews
Arda Öcal: Auston Matthews
T.J. Oshie: Leon Draisaitl
Kristen Shilton: Auston Matthews
P.K. Subban: Jake Guentzel
John Tortorella: Connor McDavid
Bob Wischusen: Auston Matthews
Greg Wyshynski: Leon Draisaitl

Totals: Matthews (10), Draisaitl (9), McDavid (2), Kucherov (1), Kaprizov (1), Point (1), Guentzel (1)

Norris Trophy (best defenseman)

Sean Allen: Cale Makar
John Buccigross: Cale Makar
Stormy Buonantony: Shea Theodore
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Cale Makar
Sach Chandan: Zach Werenski
Meghan Chayka: Cale Makar
Ryan S. Clark: Cale Makar
Ray Ferraro: Quinn Hughes
Emily Kaplan: Zach Werenski
Tim Kavanagh: Quinn Hughes
Rachel Kryshak: Cale Makar
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Cale Makar
Steve Levy: Quinn Hughes
Vince Masi: Quinn Hughes
Victoria Matiash: Quinn Hughes
Sean McDonough: Cale Makar
AJ Mleczko: Quinn Hughes
Mike Monaco: Cale Makar
Arda Öcal: Cale Makar
T.J. Oshie: Cale Makar
Kristen Shilton: Quinn Hughes
P.K. Subban: Lane Hutson
John Tortorella: Quinn Hughes
Bob Wischusen: Cale Makar
Greg Wyshynski: Rasmus Dahlin

Totals: Cale Makar (12), Hughes (8), Werenski (2), Theodore (1), Hutson (1), Dahlin (1)

Vezina Trophy (best goaltender)

Sean Allen: Jake Oettinger
John Buccigross: Jake Oettinger
Stormy Buonantony: Jake Oettinger
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Connor Hellebuyck
Sach Chandan: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Meghan Chayka: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Ryan S. Clark: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Ray Ferraro: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Emily Kaplan: Jake Oettinger
Tim Kavanagh: Jacob Markstrom
Rachel Kryshak: Igor Shesterkin
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Steve Levy: Jake Oettinger
Vince Masi: Linus Ullmark
Victoria Matiash: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Sean McDonough: Igor Shesterkin
AJ Mleczko: Jake Oettinger
Mike Monaco: Jake Oettinger
Arda Öcal: Andrei Vasilevskiy
T.J. Oshie: Connor Hellebuyck
Kristen Shilton: Igor Shesterkin
P.K. Subban: Andrei Vasilevskiy
John Tortorella: Sergei Bobrovsky
Bob Wischusen: Igor Shesterkin
Greg Wyshynski: Andrei Vasilevskiy

Totals: Vasilevskiy (9), Oettinger (7), Shesterkin (4), Markstrom (1), Ullmark (1), Bobrovsky (1)

Calder Trophy (rookie of the year)

Sean Allen: Alexander Nikishin
John Buccigross: Ivan Demidov
Stormy Buonantony: Ivan Demidov
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Ivan Demidov
Sach Chandan: Michael Misa
Meghan Chayka: Ivan Demidov
Ryan S. Clark: Ivan Demidov
Ray Ferraro: Ivan Demidov
Emily Kaplan: Zeev Buium
Tim Kavanagh: Jimmy Snuggerud
Rachel Kryshak: Ivan Demidov
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Ivan Demidov
Steve Levy: Zeev Buium
Vince Masi: Jimmy Snuggerud
Victoria Matiash: Jimmy Snuggerud
Sean McDonough: Ivan Demidov
AJ Mleczko: Zeev Buium
Mike Monaco: Ivan Demidov
Arda Öcal: Yaroslav Askarov
T.J. Oshie: Ryan Leonard
Kristen Shilton: Ivan Demidov
P.K. Subban: Matthew Schaefer
John Tortorella: Ryan Leonard
Bob Wischusen: Ivan Demidov
Greg Wyshynski: Alexander Nikishin

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Breaking down Aaron Judge’s early playoff performance: A productive start or another October disappointment?

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October 7, 2025

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Breaking down Aaron Judge's early playoff performance: A productive start or another October disappointment?

  • Kiley McDanielOct 7, 2025, 07:00 AM ET

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    • ESPN MLB Insider
    • Kiley McDaniel covers MLB prospects, the MLB Draft and more, including trades and free agency.
    • Has worked for three MLB teams.
      • Co-author of Author of ‘Future Value’

In case you hadn’t heard, Aaron Judge entered the 2025 MLB playoffs with a checkered history of October results compared with his stellar regular-season résumé.

For his career, Judge’s OPS is 250 points lower in the postseason than in the regular season (the average regular-season-to-playoff OPS dropoff for hitters in 2024 was 18 points), and his struggles on the biggest stage have become a talking point nearly every October.

After his .184/.344/.408 slash line during the Yankees’ 2024 postseason run, Judge is hitting objectively well in the playoffs this year — posting a 1.024 OPS and collecting an MLB-leading eight hits in his first five games. But he isn’t hitting for much power, with just one extra-base hit (a double) in 21 plate appearances, and his team enters Game 3 of the American League Division Series on the brink of elimination.

As the Yankees try to battle back against the Toronto Blue Jays, we dug deep into each of Judge’s first 18 at-bats (and three walks) to see what we can learn about his October so far.

How is Judge being pitched in the playoffs? Is it different from the regular season? Why isn’t he hitting for power? Is it bad luck? And where could his postseason go from here — if the Yankees can stick around long enough for him to find his home run stroke?

How left-handed pitchers are approaching Judge

Judge vs. lefties in playoff career: 42 PA, .400/.500/.714, 19% K, 17% BB, 3 HR
Judge vs. lefties this postseason: 8 PA, .500/.500/1.125, 13% K, 0% BB, 0 HR

Each pitcher has different strengths, but there are some clear trends that lefties are following when attacking Judge this month.

The game plan goes something like this: throw hard stuff (four-seam fastballs, sinkers, cutters) on his hands, largely down, then mix in softer stuff to keep him honest, locating those pitches down and on the corners — where he is least likely to do damage. If you miss, miss outside of the zone, not toward the middle. Don’t be afraid to nibble around the outside of the zone and live to fight another day.

That’s a solid plan against almost any hitter, but in this case, it means going hard inside against a 6-foot-7 slugger whose relative weaknesses will always include covering the plate against good stuff.

It’s telling that the two softer-throwing lefties Judge faced (Boston’s Connelly Early and Toronto’s Justin Bruihl) threw two fastballs out of their 10 total pitches and both missed off the plate inside, one missing so far inside that it hit Judge. Garrett Crochet, Aroldis Chapman, and Brendon Little were much more aggressive, likely because of their better fastballs.

How right-handed pitchers are approaching Judge

Judge vs. righties in playoff career: 241 PA, .192/.304/.409, 34% K, 13% BB, 13 HR
Judge vs. righties this postseason: 13 PA, .400/.538/.400, 23% K, 15% BB, 0 HR

Judge has faced eight different righties this postseason, and those pitchers vary vastly in their pitch mix and the quality of their stuff, but right-handed pitchers seem to be using a decision tree to craft their game plan against him.

If the righty’s top offspeed pitch is a breaking ball (slider, sweeper, curve) then he is throwing that as often as he can while locating it down and away — and mixing it with fastballs inside to keep Judge from leaning over the plate. Here’s a look at Judge vs. breaking balls only.

If the righty’s top secondary pitch is a splitter — such as Toronto’s Kevin Gausman and Trey Yesavage in the first two games of the ALDS — then he is mixing splitters and sliders away with some fastballs that are mostly targeted inside.

But no matter their style, one common goal for all of these pitchers is not to make a mistake over the plate!

How does Judge’s regular-season history factor into this plan?

Though Judge’s October struggles have become a narrative over his career, any team setting up its pitching strategy for a series will game plan for the two-time American League MVP with a career 1.028 OPS and 368 home runs rather than treating him like the player with a .223 average and .787 OPS in 63 career playoff games.

And that starts with keeping the ball away from where Judge can do the most damage.

During the 2025 regular season, Judge faced 176 pitches (essentially one pitch every four plate appearances) that qualified as in the middle-middle zone — or, in more general speak, right down the middle.

Against those pitches, Judge had a 1.630 OPS and 15 homers, both figures were second best in baseball.

This is where Judge ranked, among all qualified hitters in MLB this season, measured by xwOBA:

  • Second best vs. middle-middle pitches

  • Best vs. pitches in the heart of the zone (a larger part of the strike zone than middle-middle)

  • Best per pitch vs. fastballs, second in overall value

  • Best per pitch and overall vs. sinkers

  • Best per pitch and overall vs. cutters

Imagine getting this scouting report as a pitcher before you face Judge in a playoff game. I wouldn’t throw him anything down the middle, either.

How Judge is handling pitches he should crush

Now for the twist: Judge has faced seven pitches in the playoffs that were in the middle-middle zone (one pitch every three plate appearances, so slightly more frequently than the regular season).

So far this postseason, Judge hasn’t put one of those pitches in play. He swung at five — fouled off four and whiffed at another — and took two middle-middle pitches for strikes.

This isn’t a trend I tried to identify in my research because the small sample means one home run on a center-cut ball would poke a hole in it, but in watching all of his playoff at-bats, I made too many of this sort of note: “target was [zone direction] corner, missed target to the middle of the zone, [nothing bad happened to the pitcher].”

So, yes, it’s a small sample, but October baseball is won and lost on small samples. Judge is getting pitched roughly how he was in the regular season (actually even a bit more hitter-friendly), but he hasn’t replicated his regular-season damage, especially when it comes to punishing mistakes thrown down the middle. Judge has performed basically the same (chase rate, xwOBA, etc.) as the regular season against noncenter-cut pitches, so not taking advantage of these mistakes is accounting for his dip in power in the playoffs this year.

Over 162 games, anyone putting up an OPS over 1.000 is having a very productive season — even if it’s all coming from singles and a few doubles — but the heat has been turned up with the Yankees facing elimination, and the offense needs to deliver, with Judge at the heart of it. This team needs Judge to punish mistakes and create some souvenirs or he is at risk of having another October disappointment added to his résumé.

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