A funny thing happened to Aaron Judge on his way to the HOF.

keets · July 13, 2017 7:52AM

He saw some really good pitching in the All-Star Game!!

Don't get me wrong, the guy looks physically equipped to be a really good player and he has started off his career in fine fashion. To make things even better for him he's playing in the HypeCenter of the MLB universe, good old NYC and the Yankees. The only thing is that it takes more than a partial season for Teams to get a "Book" on a player and I believe the writing may have begun in earnest last Tuesday.

Certainly he has power and much was made of hitting BP HR's in a promotional contest. I just feel that we should wait a little while before he is crowned as King and enshrined in the HOF at Cooperstown. Hopefully every one will back off and let the young man play. Maybe the Team should try to help. The view FromMyLoftyPerch isn't very clear yet, it may not be clear for a season or two. I just think that too, too many players have proven that it takes more than a few hundred plate appearances for opposing pitchers to really figure batters out.

Seen from a NYY fan's perspective I bet he looks like the savior. Fans in the Big Apple don't tolerate losing very well so I hope he works out for their sake, but a bit more time is needed.

Al H.

travis t · July 13, 2017 11:30AM

He was facing "ALL-STAR" pitching. It was no surprise that he and most of MLB's top dogs would become less than average hitters against quality stuff, even in a meaningless exhibition game.

Check back later when the same fellas continue to fatten up their numbers vs. mostly 2nd line or worse guys coming out of the bullpen during blowouts. That is where stats get pumped up. Not in mid-July on FOX.

I'd be curious to see where things stand in September. The Yanks would likely still be either chasing or trying to hold off the Bosox, or really any of the teams in the AL East. They're all still in it. The pressure on a hot rookie to perform in playoff type games will show what he's made of. Add the interest of what happens to the Yanks back end pitching and how all of their hitters respond in close games.

keets · July 13, 2017 2:19PM

Travis, you must have missed my reference(s) to all the hype. viewed through that lens it was indeed a "surprise" that he didn't crush the ball since so many expected him to repeat the BP contest results. the guy might be a great rookie but hasn't proven much past that. the MLB landscape is littered with great rookies who didn't live up to their first year promise.

travis t · July 13, 2017 8:49PM

Gosh, you're right. I must have just fallen off the turnip truck. Thank goodness I missed out on the hype of the Jeter Years.

Judge was a strikeout machine just recently. This is common knowledge. He adjusts, they adjust. Given. Again, to be concise, I'm more interested in watching a pennant race than a meaningless home run contest or an All-Star Game. Watching baseball is fun just because this guy hits the crap out of the ball. And I can't stand the Yankees.

Justacommeman · July 13, 2017 10:08PM

Judging him on three at bats in the all star game? It's both harsh and silly. He has already smashed the all time Yankee home run record by July. He passed some bum by the name of Damagio who held the record until now. He's doing this in NY. No ones inducting him into the the HOF yet that I've heard but he's off to a fine start. I hate the Yankees but your obvious anti big market bias blinds you on this one.

mark

grote15 · July 13, 2017 10:18PM

He's been absolutely amazing thus far. There is no question whatsoever about that. His power is bonafide and the adjustments he has made in the batter's box over the past year are paying off huge dividends.

Let's see how he fares in the second half of the season. There is a lot to like about this guy and he can turn out to be a special player indeed. Sure, baseball history is littered with one-hit wonders, but then there are other players who turn out to be superstars, too. He's been a great story to this point and fun to watch.

keets · July 14, 2017 5:10AM

Mark, as has become your trait lately you miss the forest for the trees. I am not criticizing Aaron Judge, I think I sort of complimented him(DUH). I am ranting against the hype machine, and yes, that machine works very well in NYC, it always has.

can I be any clearer, dude??? the guy is good as a player thus far, having a great rookie season. let's let him play and maybe the media(yes, the media controlled by the big markets like LA and NYC) can look at other stuff in MLB that is bigger. I suppose the furor will die down now that the ASG is done, but it got a little deafening.

Justacommeman · July 14, 2017 2:36PM

I see very clearly keets. I totally get it. You tend to create a situations that don't exist and then comment on it. Actually they are usually diatribes. The media and fans are focusing on a guy having a great year. That's is the story . Can't say I blame them. Yours is a non story. That's from my lofty perch

Looking through the trees and into the forest I see a guy who's sole point of the thread was "big market bias" but delivered it by using Aaron Judge to get there. Silly IMHO

mark

bronco2078 · July 15, 2017 7:37PM

If only the media would mention Donald Trump once in a while we wouldn't have to hear about this guy so much.

Darin · July 16, 2017 9:43AM

I don't mind the hype, its bound to happen when a rookie Yankee has a monster first half,
but can't the media realize the 'All rise' or 'the verdict is in' phrases get old real fast when
1,000+ people are using those lines everyday.

To the media I say, stop it with the un-originality. It was clever the very first time, and now let's just stop the madness.

dbtunr · July 16, 2017 1:59PM

Imagine if he had some hitters behind him. Holiday is like a 250 hitter this year hitting behind him.

I think the Yanks should be sellers at the deadline and dump some high priced vets who just aren't producing. Go with the kids. Sell Holiday, Gardner, Headley, Sabathia

OddRodz · July 16, 2017 4:43PM

I hope this Yankee fails bad. I hope they discover he has 'ties' to Penn State Football. I hope he bats 410 for the year with 65 dingers, then strikes out each and every at bat during any playoff game he ends up in.

Yankees have sucked ever since the money caught up with teams. AND .. Babe Ruth was g........

travis t · July 17, 2017 5:57AM

Robbed at Fenway! Call the po-leeeeeeeeeece!!!!

breakdown · July 22, 2017 7:56PM

As a Royals fan, I have no love for the Yankees but being in the NY area, I have seen Judge a bit and listened to a few interviews and I find it difficult to see much to criticize. Baseball needs some bigger than life stars and he has potential. It is crazy to expect him to keep up his torrid first half pace but he has already broken the Yankee rookie home run record. Even if he ends up with 45 home runs and 110 RBIs, that is a great season.
If anyone has said he is going to straight to Cooperstown, it isn't Aaron Judge. Seems to me, based on a limited sample size, he is good for the game.

perkdog · July 23, 2017 7:13AM

Only a complete moron would even begin to speak this kids name and the HOF in the same sentence

keets · August 15, 2017 4:18AM

Judge hits number 36 but his average is now under .290.

dbtunr · August 15, 2017 7:09AM

He has no one to back him up in the lineup. Since Holiday went to DL, Judge has tailed off.

Coinstartled · August 15, 2017 10:31AM

@perkdog said:
Only a complete moron would even begin to speak this kids name and the HOF in the same sentence

It is the dream of baseball, Perk. Football is a tough grind it out, have your head rattled contest. Baseball is a magical place that where a good season is hall of fame worthy.

keets · August 15, 2017 10:34AM

I think it's more due to the simple fact that he's facing Teams that now have a "book" on him. I watched him about 1-2 weeks ago against Cleveland and he took some pretty ugly swings. he does OK when it's dead red but has trouble with the slider and pitches away. he will adjust, or try to. that's the beauty of baseball.

keets · August 15, 2017 10:39AM

Football is a tough grind it out

the same thing happens in Football, sometime during seasons 2-3 the announcers and talk show guys were ready to write a ticket for Russell Wilson. it was hype with him as it is with Judge.

remember how glowingly everyone talked about Kapernick???

dbtunr · August 15, 2017 10:41AM

Well in his 140th major league game he hit his 40th career homerun, 4th fastest ever. Gary Sanchez hit his 40th last night as well in 139 games, 3rd fastest ever. Aaron Hicks also hit his 40th career HR last night. An interesting bet be who gets to 100 first?

Coinstartled · August 15, 2017 11:01AM

@keets said:
Football is a tough grind it out

the same thing happens in Football, sometime during seasons 2-3 the announcers and talk show guys were ready to write a ticket for Russell Wilson. it was hype with him as it is with Judge.

remember how glowingly everyone talked about Kapernick???

...and a clean ARod was going to obliterate the Bonds tainted home run record. And clean cut Tom Brady would never attempt to gain an advantage by cheating.

A lot of stuff happens between rookie year and retirement. The chatter though makes sport's interesting.

keets · August 15, 2017 7:55PM

bringing up Baseball and cheating in Football is interesting. I personally think there is more attempt to cheat in Baseball.

grote15 · August 16, 2017 9:49AM

Cheating and using PEDs in football goes back to the 1970s, at least, if not earlier. Baseball does not have a monopoly on that, for sure.

dbtunr · August 16, 2017 9:54AM

@grote15 said:
Cheating and using PEDs in football goes back to the 1970s, at least, if not earlier. Baseball does not have a monopoly on that, for sure.

I don't think he was just referring to PEDs. Think spitballs, scuffed balls, corked bats, stealing signs, stealing pitches, fan interference

grote15 · August 16, 2017 10:12AM

@dbtunr said:

@grote15 said:
Cheating and using PEDs in football goes back to the 1970s, at least, if not earlier. Baseball does not have a monopoly on that, for sure.

I don't think he was just referring to PEDs. Think spitballs, scuffed balls, corked bats, stealing signs, stealing pitches, fan interference

Football has plenty of gamesmanship in that regard, as well..soaking the field, pumping in crowd noise... I remember when they used to open the door at Giants Stadium when the wind was blowing, too, to mess with kicks.

And who can forget inflating footballs and spygate, lol..

That said, he was responding to Bonds and Arod posted by coinstartled above, so PEDs are what immediately come to mind.

keets · August 16, 2017 10:52AM

I was referring closer to what dbtunr stated than anything else. more to the point, it seems that there is evidence through the years that MLB itself has manipulated the main aspect of the game itself, the BASEBALL!!!!

dbtunr · August 16, 2017 12:39PM

@keets said:
I was referring closer to what dbtunr stated than anything else. more to the point, it seems that there is evidence through the years that MLB itself has manipulated the main aspect of the game itself, the BASEBALL!!!!

Yep. don't forget lowering the mound, shrinking the strike zone

keets · September 1, 2017 3:33AM

Judge now under .280 at the plate. he appears to be in major, major slump that is two-fold --- he is being attacked differently by pitchers and seems to have lost his "swing" as of late. as I alluded to in the OP, the book may have been written and the holes exposed. also, he seems to be walking more lately as Teams will avoid his strength if they have to.

it reminds me a little of all the sandlot games we used to play. every one of us, myself included, had a "sucker pitch" that couldn't be hit but that we had to swing at --- and whoever was pitching knew what it was!!! Aaron Judge seems susceptible to the high heat and a slider down and away. the latter makes him look terribly human.

Girardi has tried to help by giving him more frequent days off and has even dropped him down in the batting order. in his defense, this is Judge's first full season and the fatigue and pressure of it all has taken a toll. he needs the rest if the Yankees make the playoffs.

dbtunr · September 1, 2017 5:41AM

The local papers make reference to a left shoulder issue that he is keeping quiet and playing through as best he can. Pitches that he hit 450 ft earlier in the year are ending up on the warning track now. He was 0-2 last night with two walks and a run scored and moved a runner from second to third with a long fly out.

dbtunr · September 1, 2017 9:40AM

FYI - his defense is just outstanding. Geting to balls, throwing. watch this video from last nights's game

m.mlb.com/cutfour/2017/08/31/251734534/aaron-judge-fakes-out-rafael-devers-on-shallow-hit-to-get-the-out

keets · September 1, 2017 12:48PM

I never made mention of him in the field, he seems to be adequate and learning well. as for the play you linked, that seems more like a rookie mistake on the bases. the ball went right over his head and he played it poorly, should have made second easily. Judge did fake him out, though.

JoeBanzai · September 3, 2017 11:46AM

To be fair, most hitters have trouble with good high fastballs, especially if over inside part of the plate. Ted Williams said the low and away slider was his toughest pitch to hit.

Not a Yankees fan, but I like this kid! Keep an eye on Miguel Sano with the Twins, he crushes the ball too.

BaltimoreYankee · September 6, 2017 2:17PM

The true Aaron Judge is somewhere between what we saw in the first half of the season and what we have been seeing in the second half. Going into the season, any Yankee fan would have been thrilled with a .240 average and 25 home runs from him.
I don't think fans are looking to him as a savior. He is one piece as the team gets younger and more competitive. He was a gamble when the Yankees drafted him in 2013 because of his size. I believe every team passed on him and the Yankees picked him between the first 2 rounds of the draft as compensation for losing Nick Swisher to free agency.

keets · September 7, 2017 3:25AM

**The true Aaron Judge **

I think the "true" Aaron Judge is exactly what we are seeing now, a rookie with great skill and potential, mired in a slump at the end of his first full season and unable to adjust to how he is now being attacked by pitchers. I'd expect him to work hard in the off-season with the Yankee staff to adjust his swing and learn more discipline. if he starts next season where he's at now it wouldn't surprise me to see him down in the minors till he gets it right.

in the first half he seemed to be in control, now the pitchers are in control and his walks are up. Teams have clearly found his "holes" and won't give in to his strength, opting to work around him. in that regard, as I said earlier, Girardi has moved him around in the order from 2-6 in hopes of finding him some protection. when that happens he'll improve.

dbtunr · September 7, 2017 11:11AM

HR #39 today. His 9th HR vs Baltimore this year. He owns them. Would love to see him get to 100 RBI, now at 87.

Justacommeman · September 7, 2017 4:58PM

Epic rookie year. Not too many better rookie years in that history of the game

Mark

dallasactuary · September 7, 2017 7:26PM

@Justacommeman said:
Epic rookie year. Not too many better rookie years in that history of the game

I certainly agree that he's having a great year, but I'll just note that his OPS+ of 154 (which is great) is exactly the same as the rookie year OPS+ of Mitchell Page, and Page also stole 42 bases against only 5 times caught. Then factor in situational hitting (Judge is Babe Ruth when his team is ahead or behind by more than 4 runs, and Dave Kingman the rest of the time) and there's no question that Page had a better rookie season than Judge.

Which is all to say, making predictions about how a player will do in his second season, let alone over an entire career, based on 5 months of play is risky business.

Justacommeman · September 7, 2017 8:16PM

True. But you just won't find too many rookies with 40 homers and 100 rbi's. Can't be too many

mark

Tabe · September 8, 2017 1:55AM

@Justacommeman said:
True. But you just won't find too many rookies with 40 homers and 100 rbi's. Can't be too many

mark

Exactly one. Mark McGwire - 49/118 in 1987.

keets · September 8, 2017 3:46AM

Which is all to say, making predictions about how a player will do in his second season, let alone over an entire career, based on 5 months of play is risky business.

finally someone posts that they agree with my premise.

But you just won't find too many rookies with 40 homers and 100 rbi's

I feel I should mention that Aaron Judge hasn't reached either of those numbers just yet, although it's likely he will, especially if the Yankees closed out the season against Baltimore. it seems that the Orioles dugout hasn't received the memo.

I wonder why Girardi doesn't keep Judge lower in the batting order like he was last night. at this point in the season it sort of makes more sense given his struggles lately.

Justacommeman · September 10, 2017 5:26PM

40 home runs check. Now at 41.
107 walks all-time rookie record.
90 RBI's and counting

mark

keets · September 10, 2017 6:33PM

who do the Yankees finish the season against??

dbtunr · September 10, 2017 7:02PM

games vs Twins, Rays and Jays

Judge is only second rookie with 40+ HR's

dallasactuary · September 10, 2017 8:12PM

Not to be Debbie Downer, but he's also on track for 216 strikeouts, which would also be an all-time rookie record. He's a rookie and he could be great. Or he could be Mark Reynolds. The collapse in July and the total meltdown in August are not good signs.

Justacommeman · September 10, 2017 8:17PM

@dallasactuary

Could be but .277 with 41 homers and 90 RBI's at 100+ walk it ain't too shabby over a course of an entire season even with all the strikeouts for a rookie. The first full season is a grind physically and mentally . As I think you agree April, May , June and July are just as important at August and Sept.

It's a long race. His season looks awful similar to Mike Schmidts second full season. He could also end up as Reynolds as you stated. Schmidt only hit .249 that season but he almost had 30 SB's. I'm aware of his D prowess as he was my favorite player growing up. I'm just looking at the plate in the comparison.

Judge is a rookie. Good stuff. I'm your typical Yankee hater. I hope he strikes out 300 times next year

mark

keets · September 11, 2017 5:25AM

I would expect the Yankees to work very extensively with him in the off-season........................after they give him some time to rest and soak in what he has just been through. Winter Ball will probably be spent getting him to trust his eye, not be so eager, and that will decrease the K's and increase his walks/BA/RBI which can only be good for the Yankees. they have the basics for a pretty good starting rotation and bullpen.

what I think NY would like is for Judge to flip the season he's had --- start off slow and finish hard with his foot on the pedal. as a few of us have said, that's the result of pitchers not knowing how to pitch him and the season wearing him down. I'm not a big Joe Girardi fan, I don't believe he used Judge properly. if he would have rested him sparingly and kept him hitting in the 5-6 hole it would have helped.

dbtunr · September 11, 2017 5:29AM

leads AL in walks, hr's, runs, OBP, SLG, OPS

now has 11 HR's since all-star break. down, but not terrible.

keets · September 11, 2017 5:40AM

if he doesn't win Rookie-of-the-Year it's fixed.

dbtunr · September 11, 2017 6:25AM

not to sidetrack the thread, but Gary Sanchez has now played in 161 career games and has 50 HR's and he's only 24. could be a dynamic duo for many years.

Justacommeman · September 11, 2017 8:43AM

@dbtunr said:
leads AL in walks, hr's, runs, OBP, SLG, OPS

now has 11 HR's since all-star break. down, but not terrible.

Impressive. Sanchez as well. They need to work on his catching skills. Only thing really holding him back

m

A funny thing happened to Aaron Judge on his way to the HOF.

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