Aaron Judge, New York Yankees star slugger, is considering making a big change in his field position to help the Yankees win the championship title this season.
New York Yankees handed over the captaincy reigns to Aaron Judge with a lot of hope and immense faith. For all these years, the Bombers could not find a worthy successor for Derek Jeter, the last serving captain of the Bronx Bombers. However, when Aaron scripted history last season, the Yanks top brass found the one. Hence, Hal Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees, handed over the leadership duties to the slugger hoping for a change in fortune.
Meanwhile, Aaron Judge is on cloud nine as the man has everything he ever wished for. From having a contract worth $360 million to be the captain of the second-largest sports franchise globally, the man is the epitome of sports in New York. However, a wise man once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Meaning Judge has a daunting task up his sleeves this season, as he needs to take care of his batting form and the team’s leadership duties simultaneously.
Captain Aaron Judge Set To Sacrifice His Field Position This Season
Captaincy of a sports team is no joke. One must inculcate the mindset of putting the team first at any given time. Further, Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ newly appointed captain, seems to have learned this mantra pretty early. A few days ago, ESPN reported the slugger pitched a new field position idea to the Bombers’ skipper, Aaron Boone. Judge, a natural right fielder, is willing to move the left field to fit Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield. That eventually means Aaron Judge will start at the left, Stanton at the right, and Harrison Bader at his natural position in the center field.
Aaron Judge’s proposed plan comes as a surprise as the slugger has never played left field in his major league career. However, Judge said he is making the sacrifice to fit in other roster members to keep them less prone to injury. Further, the slugger added he would test out the plan by playing left field in an initial couple of games and would monitor the progress. Moreover, the Yankees skipper, Aaron Boone, is also on board with the new strategic plan. Hence, if all goes well, Judge is willing to start left field this season to push the team for the World Series title.
“I don’t think I’ve played left field since probably college,” said Aaron Judge.
Judge Not Ruling Out The Idea Of Hitting 62 Home Runs For The Second Time In A Row
Apart from the leadership role, Aaron Judge will feel the pressure of high expectations after having a remarkable last season. The 30-year-old broke the record of clicking the most numbers of homers in a single major league season by hitting his 62nd home run against the Rangers. Hence, the fans are hoping that the slugger continues the momentum.
However, realistically, replicating such an extraordinary season is extremely difficult. But Aaron is keeping his chances open. Speaking about continuing the dream run for the second time in a row, Aaron Judge said it could happen for sure, and he is keeping the faith for now. Meanwhile, the FanGraphs projections for this season predicted Judge to clock 42 homers for the 2023 season.
