New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is on fire. After a very slow April, he went on a record-breaking binge that has yet to subside. So much for the theory that he is past his prime.
Questions About Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge was batting .207 at the end of April with six homers and 18 RBIs. His stats would have looked even more dismal had he not launched three round-trippers during the last week of the month. Had his reflexes slowed? Had Father Time caught up with a 32-year-old slugger? New York Yankee fans were waiting with bated breath for the outcome.
How much were New York fans disappointed by the five-time All-Stars’ early slump? It got so ugly that Judge was actually booed by the hometown fans after going 0-4 in a 2-0 loss to Tampa Bay on April 20. Judge’s reaction regarding the disappointed fans. His reply: “I’ve heard worse. I’d probably do the same thing.” When would the nightmare end for the “Bronx Bomber.”
Yankees Watch Judge Explode
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He did not hit his next home run until May 5, but from then on, he was a “house afire.” In the 23 remaining games in May, Judge launched 13 homers, drove in 25 runs, and raised his batting average to .282. He culminated all this with a two-homer, four RBI night against the San Francisco Giants yesterday. To say he is a lock for AL Player of the Month would be a gross understatement.
Yankee’s personnel reaction to his streak was effusive. “It’s hard to wrap your brain around what he’s doing,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He just kind of does his thing. He’s just so consistent with who he is as a person, as a player and the way he goes about it. It’s just fun to get to watch it.”
Record Breaking Performance
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Along the way, he left an MLB record in his wake. With his first home run last night, Judge broke the Yankees record for most extra-base hits in May with 25. This is a pretty obscure stat until you discover whose record he broke. That would be Hall of Famers Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Pretty exalted company, I would say.
Believe it or not, this was not even the hottest-hitting month that Judge has produced in his illustrious career. In his breakout 2017 season, he ended the year by slamming 15 home runs while driving in 30 in the last month and change of the season.
Hometown Boy Does Good
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Aaron Judge grew up 95 miles east of San Francisco in Linden, California. But yesterday, for the first time in his career, he was playing in an MLB game at Oracle Park. His parents were in attendance to watch their son revisit his childhood. Living that distance from San Francisco, he was not able to attend Giants games on a regular basis. But still, he dreamed of playing for his hometown team.
Fast-forward to 2022, and the reigning AL MVP is a free agent. He and his agent were shopping for a new contract. Negotiations came down to two teams bidding for his services: the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees offer was eight years at $320 million, and the Giants offer was nine years at $360 million.
It was one of the toughest decisions of his life. After much soul-searching and a counteroffer but New York, he elected to stay in pinstripes. Judge was asked at the time how close he was to signing with the Giants. “It was close,” he admitted. “It was a while ago, but it was pretty close. They have a great organization here. Great team. Great pitching staff and great guys. Young guys coming up. We just ended up going to New York.”
The Yankees are forever grateful that he chose to stay in the Bronx.
About the Author
Greg Simbeck is an experienced writer, editor, and content manager who covers a variety of sports for Total Apex Sports. He specializes in MLB coverage. Greg has covered various sports for numerous other publications over the years.
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