Aaron Judge has faced a lot of tough situations over the course of his MLB career so far. Mostly, it has been regarding injuries. The New York Yankees captain has been very injury-prone since his MLB debut. Over the years, he has worked hard a lot on his fitness. But last year was really shocking and disappointing for the fans as well as the AL 2022 MVP. Clearly, he enjoyed his MVP season just two years ago. However, following his MVP season, the very next year, Aaron Judge hurt his toe badly after a freak accident at the Los Angeles Dodgers fence.
Later, it turned out that the Yankees superstar tore his ligament during that accident. As a result, the 6’7 slugger had to sit out for more than two months and miss around 35 games on the trot. It was a big blow for the Bronx Bombers, who missed the postseason for the first time since 2016. The Yankees Faithful hoped to see their captain stay healthy in the 2024 season. However, very early in the spring training, Aaron Judge hurt his abs somehow. That scared the fans a lot. However, it is not just his injuries. There have also been some unfair calls of strikeouts that Judge has faced in his career.
Stats Prove Aaron Judge Has Been The Victim Of Unfair Strikeout Calls
In the 2024 season, the NY Yankees started brilliantly. But their captain started really slow. Fans were waiting to see Aaron Judge unleash his hitting prowess very early in the season. However, that did not happen. It took him seven games to hit his first home run of the season. There could have been many reasons that perhaps slowed one of the best hitters in the league down. Perhaps it was his abs injury in the spring training that did not allow him to play a few Grapefruit League Games. Is that the reason why he took time to hit his first homer of 2024? It may be, but there are also the unfair strikeout calls of the umpires. MLB stats show that Aaron Judge received 121 more strike calls below the strike zone since 2017.
MLB Most Called Strikes
— James Smyth (@JamesSmyth621) April 3, 2024
Below Strike Zone Since 2017
489 Aaron Judge
368 Xander Bogaerts
365 Josh Bell
343 Paul Goldschmidt
340 Manny Machado https://t.co/ZoEoXcYjxc
Apparently, the 6’7 height causes confusion for the umpires to figure out the strike zone. Then, the beat writers of Yanks Go Yard are right in suggesting an intervention of robotic umpires. Moreover, it might be easier for robots to call the strikeouts. They can judge them better than these normal umpires. This case of Aaron Judge proves the importance of accurate and fair officiating so that it gets easier to maintain fairness and integrity. Moreover, these unfair strikeout calls sparked debates about possible reforms for improved umpiring consistency.
Despite These Unfair Calls, The Yankees Captain Never Faced Ejection In A Regular Season Game
Aaron Judge leads in strike calls on low pitches and even those below the strike zone. He has received 160 of those calls so far in his career. The player who is closest to the AL 2022 MVP has 63 fewer of those calls. Although statistics support Aaron Judge’s case, the topic of perceived unfair treatment is still subjective. Certain fans say that various factors can influence umpires’ calls.
Nevertheless, a prominent face in MLB like Aaron Judge continues to face many questionable and controversial strike calls. The cool and calm Yankees captain never faced an ejection in a game in the regular season. However, inconsistent officiating in baseball can be very frustrating.
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