Aaron Judge is unlike anything we’ve seen before. In recent years people have begun to describe unique athletes like Judge as unicorns, a practice that’s become so common that now we’ve got an actual herd of unicorns galloping across the sports landscape. But in the baseball world, there’s Aaron Judge, and then there’s everyone else. (Okay, okay. Shohei Ohtani is probably the ultimate unicorn, an alien unicorn, but let me know the next time he puts on a glove.)
In Judge’s rookie season of 2017 he hit 52 home runs on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year and a questionable second-place finish in the MVP voting. He hit .284 that season, and he followed that with batting averages of .278, .272, .257, and .287 while hitting 27, 27, 9, and 39 home runs. That debut season seemed like a bit of an anomaly, but the waters he had settled into seemed just fine. He was the type of middle-of-the-lineup presence that a team could build around for years to come. Every team in baseball would be happy to have a player who could hit thirty to forty home runs while batting .275, even if it came along with a boatload of strikeouts.
And then 2022 happened. The American League record 62 home runs leap off the page, but Judge led the league in almost every batting statistic that matters, coming just five percentage points away from a batting title that would’ve earned not just the Triple Crown, but the ultra rare Triple Triple Crown (leading the league in runs, home runs, RBI, batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, walks, and total bases). It was an otherworldly season.
And then 2024 happened. Judge hit only 58 home runs, but he was arguably even better at the plate than he had been two years earlier, producing possibly the greatest single season of any right-handed batter in history, and he won his second unanimous MVP award.
This year, just for fun, he’s hitting .415 though 25 games. Hitting over .400 for any twenty-five game stretch is pretty impressive, but to do so while also leading the league in essentially everything else is absolutely ridiculous.
As Yankee fans we were blessed to watch Mariano Rivera, the greatest closer of all time, for nineteen years. It’s quite possible that fifteen years from now we’ll realize that we just finished watching the greatest right fielder of all-time also. So pay attention. You’ll want to tell your grandchildren all about it.
[Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.]
His OBP is .513.
Just sayin.
Let’s go
Yay, a hit.
Sigh.
Well phew.
I had a dream the other night that my parents were having a big bday party for me at their house. Everyone I knew was there. But then, all my favorite Yankees started walking in wearing their uniforms. Jeter, Posada, O'Neill. It was freaking awesome. They flew in, apparently! Lol....
Cool dream.
How did the Jays get a run? I had to walk the terrorists
Ah, Vladdy Jr.
Tied. Up!
Still waiting to see the Devon Williams that I was promised.
Still waiting.
So, our closer is maybe the seventh best pitcher in our bullpen.
It's an interesting idea. I know the important thing is for each relief pitcher to have a defined role, so we're doing well on that score.
Well, good thing we didn’t weaken our starting rotation by trading a reliable starting pitcher.
Jeez, postponed already.
Crappy defense right from the start.
Rough game for O-Cab thus far. Sigh.
How do you not score there?
Acceptable walk
Wells!
Wells done, Austin.
Now, technically, is 6 a crooked number?
I would say so
Funny that something so round can be so crooked.
AV turning things around, nice to see.
Geez.
Production from the homegrown talent -- I mean, the ones who aren't famous.
Nice to wake upto double digits.
Yankees win.
I like leadoff homers
Judge is such a pleasure to watch.
I’ve been watching the Knicks and Devils today but tuning my phone into the MLB app to watch Judge AB’s. He’s must see tv right now.
These Blue Jays unis in game two are like the last pair of ratty underwear at the end of a two week business trip. Yuck.
Rats, missed the Judge home run, had to drive dad to get eggs.
4-1 is not Devin proof
JC with his first homer
I'm really impressed by the way this team is crushing it with homegrown talent.
Doubleheader sweep
gg
The Jays are bad, but still, it's good to see the Yanks combine great and then good hitting with really good pitching both ends of the twin bill.
Great to take three straight after the rough game one. I've been listening to the new radio guy on Sirius a bunch when walking. I do like his energy.
My dad doesn’t know what the score truck is but he said after they scored 11 in the early game it was a good bet they’d max out at two in the nightcap. Glad he was wrong.
Let’s keep this win streak alive.
Boo, hitting Jazz.
Wasted opportunity.
How did Trent get messed up on that?
It happens to the best of us.
JFC! Men on base. Time for everyone to look stupid.
Back to sucking with RISP.
Earl Weaver special. That’s why you don’t walk the first two hitters
Shite start by Warren. Maybe next time, kid.
Police, I’d like to report a home run that was stolen.
Nice! 4-3.
I approve of lead off homers.
I also approve of Arron Judge homers on the next pitch.
Belly to belly to belly!
Belli joins the party.
Aw, only a triple for Jazz.
Uh oh, now he’s out of the game.
Double for Volpe.
Gee, an infield single
Boo, double and E9 for Jazz. It had been a team cycle.
More Rice!
That may have been the most spectacular start of any MLB game I've ever seen.
Has anyone come up with a really good joke about Fried and Rice?
I was thinking something about giving up (or drawing) woks... There's gotta be a good one waiting to be hatched.
Right flank discomfort for Jazz. O;s broadcasters are having fun with it. Is he a cow?
[59] Second time this year the Yankees started a game B2B2B. First team to that twice in a season. It’s still April.
Back to hitting with RISP.
Next up, double digits
[62] Right, but this time there was another homer and two doubles and a single still to come in the inning!
Nice catch, Carlos
Not a strike, blue
There it is
Yay, double digits!
Great job, Volpe
No no gone
I picked the wrong game to miss the first 6 innings. Holy moly!
Okay, 13 run lead.
Devin time, right?
Ah, Wells joined the party.
[72] Only with a short leash
Aw crap, another Amazon Prime game tonight. Harumph
Ah, I do get the Orioles feed.
All rise
Ugh, I go to the drugstore and shit happened
Now what the Hell?
Goldie joins the festivities.
So Judge finishes April hitting .427 with 10 home runs and 32 RBIs. Those numbers obviously lead baseball, and he also leads in hits, OB, slugging, and OPS.
Wonder who will win Player of the Month.