Aaron Judge, one of the most prolific and feared hitters in the league, picked up his best form till date this season serving as the captain for the New York Yankees. He is halfway through the 2022 MVP season and is poised to recreate something similar by the end of the year.
Having said that, the opposition is clearly intimidated by Aaron Judge and has resorted to notorious means to neutralize him. The Barry Bonds treatment trend is witnessing a steep rise, and hence, it’s time for the New York Yankees to look out for an antidote and retaliate with a sound strategy.
Yankees Skipper Explores Options To Stop Rivals From Passing Aaron Judge
The New York Yankees are facing a growing challenge as opposing teams increasingly opt to pitch around their star slugger, Aaron Judge. As one of the most feared hitters in baseball, Judge’s presence in the lineup has often led to teams intentionally walking him or pitching carefully to avoid giving him anything to hit. The trend, initially introduced by the Mets, was picked up by the Blue Jays and LA Angels. Interestingly, the Jays walked Judge with nobody on base and two outs in the second inning, which is the first time in the past 50 years somebody was intentionally walked this early into the game. “Oh, so that’s beyond the Bonds treatment. Now we’ll call it the Judge treatment,” Boone said.
Having said that, Aaron Judge is not enjoying this period as he wants to hit. And with the frustration growing, it’s time for the New York Yankees to adjust their approach. One option is to flip the lineup, something Aaron Boone has been pondering for a while. By flipping Judge and Juan Soto, the rivals will be forced to pitch to the Yankees captain as he would walk in to bat at second. The second option is to find a good cleanup hitter. Catching prospect, Austin Wells has been phenomenal in the short sample size as a cleanup hitter. He’s slashing .312/.411/.559 with six home runs in 113 plate appearances since June 27. Hence, with Wells hitting consistently, the opposition rivals will have to be forced to pitch to Judge. Also, the Yankees could adopt a more aggressive baserunning approach when Judge is walked, using his presence on base to create scoring opportunities.
MLB Insider Advocates Judge As Best Leader In Baseball
Popular MLB insider Jeff Passan recently appeared on Michael Kay’s show and dropped heavy praise on New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge. He referred to Judge as the best leader in baseball and credited him for Jazz Chisholm Jr’s seamless transition into the Bronx. He explained that Chisholm had previously scared a lot of teams.
However, at the Yankees, he is gelling up nicely with the squad and is having the time of his life. “Yankees were comfortable with him because their clubhouse is patrolled, maintained, and run by Aaron Judge,” Passan added. Notably, Judge gifted his bat to Jazz Chisholm Jr in his first series with the Yanks, and the latter immediately stacked a homer.
Follow Sports News International for more news and updates about The New York Yankees and your favorite MLB team
