He's already been characterized as a gentle giant in the clubhouse, but Aaron Judge's presence and traits are appearing to be reminiscent of a former Yankee great. To some players, the comparison could be daunting, but it's out in the open now, thanks to the Yankees' skipper. "He is a little bit like Derek [Jeter] for me," Joe Girardi said of Judge to ESPN's Andrew Marchand. "He has a smile all the time. He loves to play the game. You always think he is going to do the right thing on the field and off the field. He has a presence about him. He plays the game to win all the time and that is the most important thing. It is not about what you did that day. I understand that is a big comparison, but I remember Derek when he was young. He grew into that leadership role but that was Derek. Derek loved to have fun, loved to laugh and loved to play the game." The 25-year-old rookie outfielder couldn't have posted better numbers at the plate in April, as his 10 home runs thus far is tied for best in the American League. Along with 20 RBI and a slashline of .303/.411/.750 entering May, Judge has emerged as an early Rookie of the Year contender. What's also encouraging is his strikeout-to-walk ratio, which has improved from last season's 42:9 to 24:13. But of course, the attention Judge has garnered is due to his innate ability to hit a baseball far--and also, quite hard. Last Friday, Judge's sixth-inning two-run shot into Monument Park broke Statcast, as the ball's exit velocity was calculated at a record-breaking 119.38 mph. Opposing pitchers perceive him as a 6-foot-7, 282-pound demon, but Judge's act is altruistic--and his boss has taken notice. "I see him doing things the right way on the field and off the field," Girardi said. "That is the way Derek was, as well, when he was young."
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Girardi: Yankees' rookie Aaron Judge is…
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He's already been characterized as a gentle giant in the clubhouse, but Aaron Judge's presence and traits are appearing to be reminiscent of a former Yankee great. To some players, the comparison could be daunting, but it's out in the open now, thanks to the Yankees' skipper. "He is a little bit like Derek [Jeter] for me," Joe Girardi said of Judge to ESPN's Andrew Marchand. "He has a smile all the time. He loves to play the game. You always think he is going to do the right thing on the field and off the field. He has a presence about him. He plays the game to win all the time and that is the most important thing. It is not about what you did that day. I understand that is a big comparison, but I remember Derek when he was young. He grew into that leadership role but that was Derek. Derek loved to have fun, loved to laugh and loved to play the game." The 25-year-old rookie outfielder couldn't have posted better numbers at the plate in April, as his 10 home runs thus far is tied for best in the American League. Along with 20 RBI and a slashline of .303/.411/.750 entering May, Judge has emerged as an early Rookie of the Year contender. What's also encouraging is his strikeout-to-walk ratio, which has improved from last season's 42:9 to 24:13. But of course, the attention Judge has garnered is due to his innate ability to hit a baseball far--and also, quite hard. Last Friday, Judge's sixth-inning two-run shot into Monument Park broke Statcast, as the ball's exit velocity was calculated at a record-breaking 119.38 mph. Opposing pitchers perceive him as a 6-foot-7, 282-pound demon, but Judge's act is altruistic--and his boss has taken notice. "I see him doing things the right way on the field and off the field," Girardi said. "That is the way Derek was, as well, when he was young."