Aaron Judge has undoubtedly been the man to beat this MLB season despite the New York Yankees losing its ground mid-season. His video game numbers are good enough to win him his second career AL MVP award. Not only that, Judge is halfway through his 62-home run record already.
Hence, MLB pitchers are struggling to edge past the Aaron Judge wall. He is at his finest form on the plate, and anything that lands in the strike zone goes a mile away. Amid this, a former MLB manager advised pitchers to take the highway and opt for ‘Barry Bonds’ treat for Judge because that’s the only way to neutralize him.
Joe Maddon Wants ‘Barry Bonds’ Treatment For Aaron Judge!
MLB pitchers haven’t been able to crack the code to neutralize the big threat named Aaron Judge this year. Across 91 games, the Yankees captain is hitting 308/.426/.667 with 32 home runs and 83 RBIs. He is also leading the majors in 32 home runs, 83 RBI, a .667 slugging percentage, and 1.103 OPS. And it’s just July, with the second half still left on the cards. Undoubtedly, if the slugger is allowed to continue this form, he will cause disruptions among MLB pitchers. Hence, Joe Maddon, former World Series-winning MLB manager, urged pitchers to give Barry Bond treatment to Judge. “I would not pitch to him. I would absolutely designate that before the game,” Maddon said in an interview.
Joe Maddon explained that he could not trust MLB pitchers around Aaron Judge anymore because they lacked the control and command required to keep him quiet. Hence, giving intentional walks is the only way out. While Maddon understands that some view the Barry Bonds treatment as unethical, its completely necessary in certain situations. And for Aaron Judge, its the only solution. Notably, many teams have used this approach with Judge this year. Even Yankees skipper Aaron Boone expects more teams to opt for the same approach sometime in the second half. However, the New York Yankees hitting lineup is heavily stacked with powerful hitters. Even if pitchers chose to walk Judge, they face Giancarlo Stanton, Alex Verdugo, and Anthony Volpe next. While the Barry Bonds treatment might work to an extent, it’s certainly not the sustainable solution the pitchers are looking for Judge.
Judge Wants To Play Baseball Until 40!
In a recent candid interview, Aaron Judge revealed that he wants to take inspiration from the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady to prolong his MLB career. He wants to play until 40 and only quit when he falls out of love with the sport and not because his age does not allow it.
“Like I want to be able to play until I’m done with this game,” Aaron Judge said on the Casa de Klub podcast. Indeed, Judge can ensure longevity in baseball if he manages to stay healthy. His past years have been massively plagued by injuries, and that factor could potentially shorten his career before he actually desires.
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