Stathead Spotlight

Aaron Judge has 27 home runs through the Yankees first 69 games of the season. Only Babe Ruth has had more home runs at this point in a season for the Yankees.

See the full list on Stathead.com

21,000 in Tropicana Field gasp -- half with dread, half with delight -- as the ball leaves Judge's bat with two outs in the ninth and the Yankees down a run; climbs, climbs into the domed night; and comes down on the warning track.

It's the new baseball, guys. Even Judge can't put it into the seats, not when he breaks his bat.

https://www.mlb.com/gameday/yankees-vs-rays/2022/06/21/661890#game_state=final,game_tab=videos,game=661890

Continuing my post moments ago (from the Post) under Stanton...

Judge entered Monday with an MLB-high 25 homers, having hit 24 over a stretch of 47 games prior to the four-game “drought” he brought into Monday’s game against the Rays at Tropicana Field.

Stanton did most of his damage in 2017 in the second half. Through 66 games, he had 17 homers compared to Judge’s 25 and it’s the grind of the season that will likely be a challenge to Judge — especially as he plays center field more than ever.

Asked the most difficult part of staying consistent in a season like the one Judge is having, Stanton paused and said, “I would say the overall wear and tear.

“Even when it’s going great and you’re playing well and you don’t have to go through the frustration of slumping, it’s still very taxing to be on base so many times, scoring so many times and always moving,’’ Stanton said. “And you’re out there every day, running in the outfield, running the bases and then you have to stay mentally prepared for every at-bat and not giving any away.”

Which gets harder as the year progresses...

“It’s been amazing to watch,’’ Stanton said. “He’s playing on the next level from where everywhere else is playing. … It’s entertaining watching the frustration of the best pitchers in the world trying to get this guy out.”

I ask you. Are these Yankees buttoned down or what? They cut their hair short. No beards, not even a mustache. Hair dye? Are you kidding me? Aaron Judge doesn't even get into a shopping cart and ride around in the dugout after pushing an inside curveball from McClanahan over the right field fence in Yankee Stadium for a 1-0 lead in the first.

The crowd doesn't even go that nuts.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/24/sports/baseball/aaron-judge-home-runs.html

“What an at-bat,” Boone said.

What a night.

“This is a heavyweight game in May,” Boone had told his bench coach Carlos Mendoza.

It was won by a heavyweight hitter who will get his money, big money, before or after he becomes a free agent.

Judge said he was just trying to do his job up there, just trying to get a pitch to drive, just blah, blah, blah.

PS -- think of the hullabaloo if he wasn't allowed to play today.

The Yankees obviously are hoping for a discount based on Judge's obvious desire to spend his career in one uniform, and for once I side with management. Why guarantee many millions now if it's not at least a few million less than he'd get if he was a free agent now?

https://nypost.com/2022/04/08/yankees-offering-huge-deal-to-aaron-judge-with-talks-going-down-to-the-wire/

Are all teams this bad?

...The exact number of unvaccinated Yankees and Mets is not publicly known, but a number of stars had recently declined to reveal their vaccination status as concern grew over Adams insisting his decisions would not be dictated by the baseball schedule. The list of players who declined to say whether they were vaccinated included Aaron Judge, Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo on the Yankees and Jacob deGrom, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo, Dominic Smith and J.D. Davis on the Mets.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/24/yankees-mets-react-to-nyc-vax-mandate-change-to-come/

Joel Sherman in the Post this morning:

TAMPA — Let the negotiations begin.

Aaron Judge and the Yankees couldn’t come to terms on a new deal to avoid arbitration by Tuesday’s deadline, with Judge asking for $21 million and the Yankees offering $17 million, according to a source...

While Judge and the Yankees didn’t settle on a one-year deal on Tuesday, the team did come to agreements with their other arbitration-eligible players. Joey Gallo got $10.275 million, Gleyber Torres $6.25 million, Jordan Montgomery $6 million, Isiah Kiner-Falefa $4.75 million and Wandy Peralta $2.15 million. Chad Green, Clay Holmes, Jonathan Loaisiga and Jameson Taillon also came to terms on one-year deals.

Judge turns 30 next month and is coming off his best and healthiest season since his rookie year of 2017.

He made $10.175 million in arbitration last season and was projected by some to get north of $17 million this year. By comparison, the Nationals and star outfielder Juan Soto agreed on a $17.1 million deal on Tuesday.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/22/yankees-aaron-judge-unable-to-reach-deal-avoid-arbitration/