Aaron Judge, New York Yankees. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Aaron Judge is an absolute animal when it comes to hitting home runs.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is having an MVP season for the Bronx Bombers.
On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, Judge’s Yankees were taking on the arch rival Boston Red Sox in primetime. Though Boston had gotten off to a slow start at 3-6, the Red Sox battled throughout the tight ball game. That was until Judge asserted his dominance over the entire Boston organization and delivered a game-sealing two-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Judge already homered earlier in the ball game, as that was his fifth home run in his last five games. We knew he was seeing the ball well early in this 60-game MLB season, but how he carried the team on his back in a big time spot in primetime is the type of moments legends are forged from. This home run must break the hearts of all Red Sox fans, as their team falls to 3-7.
Aaron Judge has to be the early frontrunner for AL MVP in the 2020 season.
While the Red Sox stumble into a three-way tie for the worst record in the American League, the Yankees improve to 7-1 on the year. Judge was 2-for-4 at the plate with a three-run homer in second inning and a two-run shot in the eight inning. He plated five of his teammates, scored two runs and drew a walk in the Yankees’ 9-7 victory over the Red Sox. Judge was the difference.
In 31 at-bats this season, Judge is hitting .290 with six home runs and 14 runs batted in. His on-base percentage is .371 and he is slugging .903. His batting average and slugging percentage are well above his career averages, but his on-base percentage suggests he may be able to have his best season yet, albeit in one where no team will play more than 60 regular-season games.
If you’re a Yankees fan, this is exactly what you were hoping for. If Judge got hot right out of the game, he could carry this team to the best record in the American League and maybe a trip to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Yes, it’s been over a decade since the Yankees have played in a Fall Classic. However, they are the presumptive favorites to get there this year.
As long as Judge continues to knock the cover off baseballs, the Yankees will keep winning games.