On Saturday, Giancarlo Stanton hit his first home run of the spring. On Sunday, Aaron Judge did the same.
In his 16th Grapefruit League game, the Yankees’ second-year slugger crushed a solo shot off of Miami Marlins’ right-hander Sandy Alcantara during the seventh inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter, Fla.
Although the game was not broadcast on televsion, a fan’s video showed that the ball traveled well over 400 feet and landed on the second floor balcony atop the Marlins’ clubhouse behind left-center field.
“I didn’t see where it landed,” Judge told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “I just tried to stick to my approach, and I was able to catch one out front. I’m just glad I felt good in the box. I was swinging at the right pitches. Especially with the guy on the mound. He was about 100 [mph] and works his pitches well. Just made sure I stayed in my zone.”
@TheJudge44 first homer of the spring! pic.twitter.com/ffywLkshWL
— Foti (Yankees) (@JoeyTFoti) March 11, 2018
Judge, who won the American League Rookie of the Year award with 52 homers in 2017, told MLB.com that his steady and methodical return from offseason shoulder surgery has gone according to plan.
“It’s getting there. It’s still a work in progress,” said Judge, who went 1-for-4 against Miami and 2-for-2 against the New York Mets on Saturday. “We’re still two weeks out [from Opening Day], so you never want to peak too early. Still tinkering with some things. I was a little further along in spring last year. Right now, I’m still working on my swing. I’m just trying to be ready for Opening Day. Biggest thing for me is just to get my work in.”
If you want to connect with Tom Hanslin, email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @tomhanslin.
