A year ago, the New York Yankees were 9-17 and in last place in the American League East. One year later, the Yankees are 17-9 and in sole possession of first place in the division. Aaron Judge has a lot to do with that success.
It might be just 26 games into the season, but the 2017 version of the Yankees have a much different feel to them, one of a possible playoff contender. Last year, the Yankees looked old, slow and boring. Plus, they were losing.
Now, with Judge leading the way, the New York Yankees have re-energized the entire city and fan base. With both Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird on the disabled list with injuries, Judge has carried the load. In 26 games, Judge is hitting .330 with 13 home runs and 27 RBI, which are staggering numbers.
The 13 home runs lead the league heading into the second month of the season. He is also 27 RBIs which ties him for first in the American League. But the surprise is the high batting average, as Aaron Judge is cutting down on the strikeouts. One year ago, Judge struck out 42 times in 84 at bats. Now, in 2017, Judge has only struck out 27 times in 88 at bats.
With Judge laying off pitches that he would normally strike out on, it’s forcing pitchers to alter their style of attack. It’s also forcing pitchers to come over the plate to Judge, and that has backfired on them. Some of Judge’s 13 home runs have been frequently shown on highlight reels on ESPN, MLB Network, and social media.
Usually, highlights of players like that are shown for Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton. The faces of MLB. While it’s only been 26 games, Aaron Judge has already generated a lot of buzz around the baseball world.
Right now, there are not too many players around the league who are playing better than Aaron Judge and every at-bat of his has now become a must-see. Whether it’s at Yankee Stadium or on the road, fans pay attention when Judge comes up to the plate because they know what can happen.
They know that Judge might send a pitch 400 feet the other direction and they don’t want to miss it. Watch an Aaron Judge at-bat at Yankee Stadium and you’ll see the fans stirring because they know it could be a towering home run. Even Judge’s batting practice stint has become must see for the fans in the Bronx.
That’s the kind of impact Judge creates for himself and for the New York Yankees. So far, he’s living up to the hype that has surrounded him since the Yankees drafted him four years ago. He’s showing why the Yankees refused to trade him when teams made offers in package deals. And believe this; the Yankees received many offers in the past for trades involving Judge going elsewhere.
They all saw what the Yankees did in Aaron Judge’s talents and abilities. It’s why they hung onto him and developed him as opposed to trading him off. And now, Aaron Judge has become a must-see star player for the Yankees and for Major League Baseball.
Again, only May. But Aaron Judge has star power buzz around him now. For the New York Yankees, that’s a really good thing going forward.