As the New York Yankees seek redemption after losing the World Series in five games — and then Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals — they’ve taken some hits along the way. First, it was Greg Olsen throwing shade at Aaron Judge’s brutal preseason on the very network that aired the reigning AL MVP’s struggles.
Then came John Oliver.
The Last Week Tonight host’s jab at Judge wasn’t without context. He was responding to a remark from House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who, like many of his Democratic colleagues, has been scrambling for the right analogy to frame his party’s opposition to Donald Trump’s second administration.
Jeffries and his fellow Democrats have faced mounting criticism in recent weeks, as Trump’s second term has been fraught with controversy. With Republicans controlling every branch of government, the 45th and 47th President is working to expand executive power.
Amid growing frustration from their constituents and voter base, Democrats have struggled to present a unified front. But Jeffries insists they won’t take wild swings at every pitch — just like Judge.
“He waits for the right one — and then he swings,” Jeffries explained, seemingly referring to Judge in the below clip. “We’re not going to swing at every pitch. We’re going to swing at the ones that matter for the American people.”
Which, you know, would’ve been a great analogy if you’ve completely blocked out the 2024 MLB postseason from your memory. Oliver, who follows a long line of Mets fans turned comedians, didn’t sever that part of his brain — at least not yet.
“First and least importantly, are you sure you want that to be your example?” asked Oliver. “A guy that hit .184 in the postseason, as his team lost the World Series in five games because he plays bad defense. Is that really the analogy you want to use here? ‘Don’t be mad at us; we’re just like a baseball player on the most hated team in America, who absolutely sh*t the bed in the most high-stakes situation imaginable.'”
Nobody show Aaron Judge last night’s episode of Last Week Tonight.
— Roger Cormier (@yayroger.bsky.social) February 17, 2025 at 11:03 AM
The absurdity of the analogy aside — and it doesn’t even make the list compared to the other absurd analogies already made in Trump’s second term — this one is uniquely hilarious because it hinges on the idea that Judge, of all people, is the perfect example of patience paying off.
And that’s the real problem with Jeffries’ analogy. The Democrats aren’t just waiting for the right pitch — they’re running out of at-bats to claw out of a 3-0 hole. And if Judge’s postseason is any indication, sometimes waiting for the perfect pitch just means going down looking.
