The 2019 Yankees, much like the 2018 and 2017 versions, will
live and die by the towering presence in right field named Aaron Judge. This is
my opinion only, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I am not going to be the
only person who really thinks so. Judge is a beast with the bat and a stellar
defender with a rocket for an arm out in right field, but he is also the heart
and soul of the team. As Judge goes, the team goes, so let’s get reacquainted
with the man that will tow the line for the New York Yankees all season long
here in 2019. Mr. Aaron Judge everybody.
Aaron Judge, 26-years old, is a right-handed hitting and
throwing right fielder for the New York Yankees. While in the minor leagues
Judge was used as a center fielder and left fielder as well, showing a familiarity
with all three outfield positions throughout his MLB and professional career. Judge
is going to strike out a lot, but he is also going to hit home runs a lot and
drive in runs a lot while hitting around the .280 mark, if history is any
indicator of his future.
Aaron James Judge was born on April 26, 1992 in Linden,
California where he was adopted the day after he was born by Patty and Wayne
Judge. Both of Aaron’s parents were school teachers. Judge attended Lindgren
High School where he was a three-sport star. Judge was a pitcher and a first
baseman for the baseball team, a wide receiver for the football team, and was a
center for the basketball team. Judge excelled at all three sports, but he
especially caught the eye of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Stanford Cardinals
in college football, both wanted Judge to play tight end, as well as the
Oakland Athletics and Fresno State University. The Oakland Athletics selected Judge
in the 31st round of the 2010 MLB First Year Players Draft, but
instead Judge opted to go to college and play baseball for the Fresno State
Bulldogs baseball team. Judge slugged his way to a WAC tournament title and
College Baseball Home Run Derby, among other accolades, through the 2013 season
before the New York Yankees drafted the right fielder in the first round of the
2013 MLB Draft, 32nd overall. Judge signed with the Yankees for $1.8
million and began his professional career with the club in 2014.
By 2015, the Yankees invited Judge to the spring training camp
and also had their right fielder at the highest minor league level of Triple-A.
Judge represented the Yankees in the 2015 All-Star Futures Game, but the team
kept him out of their batch of September call ups due to a roster crunch. Judge
was chosen as a 2016 Triple-A All Star but opted not to play in the game after
spraining his knee earlier in the season. Judge, instead, got healthy and took
the time off, hoping for a call up to the Major League level, a call that would
come on August 13, 2016. Judge made his MLB debut against the Tampa Bay Rays
that day and hit a home run in his first at-bat, just one at-bat after Tyler Austin,
also making his MLB debut, also hit a home run in his first MLB at-bat. This
was the first time a pair of teammates hit home runs in their first career
at-bats in the same game. Judge was named the Yankees Opening Day starting
right fielder for the 2017 season, and the beginning of a special season took
off almost immediately.
The Yankees debuted a cheering section in the right field
seats in 2017 called “The Judge’s Chambers” on May 22 after Judge won AL Rookie
of the Month in April. Judge won the award again during the month of May en
route to being voted as the starting right fielder for the American League in
the 2017 All-Star Game. Judge broke the Yankees rookie record for most home
runs in a season when he hit his 30th home run, passing Joe DiMaggio
and became just the second rookie ever, the first being Mark McGwire, to have
30 home runs before the All-Star break. Judge won the 2017 Home Run Derby and
even passed McGwire for the most home runs by a rookie in a single season when
he hit his 49th and 50th home runs on September 25. Judge
led the Yankees to the AL Wild Card, an eventual win over the Minnesota Twins,
and within one game of the 2017 World Series before ultimately falling to the
Houston Astros in the seventh game of the ALCS. Judge was unanimously voted as
the American League Rookie of the Year in 2017 and also finished 2nd
in the AL MVP Award vote behind Houston’s Jose Altuve.
Judge was back to prove that there wouldn’t be a sophomore
slump, and he did just that in 2018 for the New York Yankees. Judge was once
again a starting outfielder in the 2018 MLB All-Star Game, although the Yankees
right fielder chose to skip the Home Run Derby this season. Judge wondered if a
shoulder injury that required surgery the previous offseason was caused by
participating in the 2017 Derby but skipping the event would not keep Judge off
the disabled list in 2018. Judge was struck on the wrist by Kansas City Royals
starter Jakob Junis, causing Judge to miss two months with the injury. Judge led
the Yankees past the Oakland Athletics in the 2018 AL Wild Card Game, but the
Yankees fell just short in the ALDS against the eventual World Series champion
Boston Red Sox, ending their season prematurely.
Here are a few of the New York Yankees and general MLB
records that Judge already holds in his young career, shout out to Wikipedia for
these:
New York Yankees franchise records[edit]
- Most home runs in a season hit at home: 33 (Babe Ruth held the record with 32).
- Most home runs in a season by a rookie: 52 (Joe DiMaggio held the record with 29)[95]
- First right-handed hitter in Yankees history with at least 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored and 100 walks in a single season
- Fifth player in franchise history to start an All-Star Game in the first two seasons. (Following Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Lefty Gomez.
- Most home runs (4) in the first seven home playoff games, tying Reggie Jackson (1977–78).
MLB records[edit]
- Most home runs by a rookie, 52 (Mark McGwire held record with 49)[96]
- Measured exit velocity of 121.1 miles per hour (194.9 km/h), again setting a new record for the hardest ever measured by Statcast. (June 10, 2017)[97]
- Holds the MLB record for striking out in 37 consecutive games. (2017)[98]
- Holds the MLB record for most strikeouts by a rookie with 208.
- Holds the MLB record for most walks by a rookie with 127.
- First rookie in MLB history with at least 45 home runs, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored.[99]
- Most golden sombreros in postseason play since 1903.[100]
- Fastest to reach 60 home runs (197 games)[101]
Will Judge add any this year in 2019? I surely think so, but
you will just have to stay tuned to find out. All Rise, because here comes the
Judge.