On Monday night, the Aaron Judge fan club arrived in Anaheim, California — almost three thousand miles away from the rookie’s newly built chambers in the Bronx. While some sections in Angel Stadium were garbed in Yankee colors, prompting MVP chants and holding signs, there was one Judge fan incognito, who happened to be standing atop the steps of the home team’s dugout.
“[Judge’s] got the potential to be a really, really special player,” longtime Angels manager Mike Scioscia told Newsday’s Erik Boland.
Judge hit home run No. 22 on Monday — a go-ahead two-run shot in the eighth inning which was the decisive hit in the Yankees’ sixth straight win. Entering Tuesday, the 25-year-old leads the American League in homers, batting average (.347), runs scored (57), and walks (39), and is just one RBI shy of tying Seattle’s Nelson Cruz (50) for the league’s high in that Triple Crown category.
To keep it short and sweet, Judge is doing it all. His offensive rampage has been inexpressible on most occasions, and his sudden range and robustness in the outfield comes as a pleasant bonus.
Even at a mammoth 6-foot-7, 285-pounds, Judge is resembling a five-tool player, and Scioscia realizes it, considering he manages baseball’s most special talent.
“You look at a Mike Trout, you look at a lot of [younger] guys that come up, it seems like there’s a higher plateau these guys have as far as speed and strength,” Scioscia told Boland. “It’s probably been a trend for a while, but when you see guys that come up that have those kinds of tools, it stands out, no doubt.”
“That’s what you dream about as a kid.”
Aaron Judge once again steps up in a huge moment to help deliver the @Yankees another win. pic.twitter.com/akhblz1p98
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 13, 2017
Judge has had an opportunity to stand out more than Trout, however, as the Angels’ center fielder landed on the disabled list in late May with a torn ligament in his left thumb. Since then, Judge has surpassed Trout for the league lead in wins above replacement and All-Star votes, numbers that are indicative of a stunning spring campaign.
What may be more impressive than Judge’s tape-measure home runs is his ability to efficiently hit the ball to any part of the field. Although he has already struck out 72 times in 213 at-bats, Judge is hitting .300 when down 0-2 in the count, and with two strikes, he’s slashing .275/.375/.543. That’s a product of meticulous adjustments and plate discipline.
“It just illustrates a special tool of power,” Scioscia said.
If Judge maintains his numbers, he could be the first player to win AL Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player since Ichiro did so in 2001.
