Yankees' Aaron Judge: Limited game action this spring
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Judge hasn't traveled with the Yankees for any of their Grapefruit League road games, but he's been getting live at-bats while the team is away, Randy Miller of NJ Advance Media reports.
Judge's absence from spring road games isn't particularly unusual for a player of his tenure and status, though it has limited him to action in just nine of New York's 20 contests. The slugger has fared well when he has played, going 8-for-19 (.421) with four doubles, a home run, four RBI, four runs and a 4:3 BB:K. Judge has also been logging at-bats against the team's hurlers before home games and taking plenty of swings against high-velocity batting machines, so he's had ample opportunity to shake off any offseason rust. The Yankees captain won't go the entire spring without traveling -- he's expected to play in at least one road game during the upcoming weekend.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Might see some time in center field
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Judge could see some starts in center field while Harrison Bader (oblique) is sidelined, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
Judge actually made more starts in center than anywhere else last season, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch. The reigning AL MVP had already been ticketed for some left field duty this season, too, so it's possible he'll see action at all three outfield spots.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Will play in left twice this week
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced that Judge will play left field Wednesday and Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
It's been widely reported that Judge is going to play some left field during home games to allow Giancarlo Stanton to handle right field, with right offering far less ground to cover for Stanton. Judge might have a short acclimation period, but given his athleticism he should have no trouble making the switch with three-plus weeks until the regular season starts.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Debut in left coming this week
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Judge will make his spring debut in left field either Wednesday or Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Judge is going to play some left field in home games this year, which would allow Giancarlo Stanton to play right field in Yankees Stadium -- an area that will require Stanton to cover less ground. Judge has never played left field in the majors, but his athleticism should allow the transition to be a painless one.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: To get reps in LF shortly
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Yankees manager Aaron Boone told ESPN on Wednesday that Judge is likely to play left field soon, Marly Rivera of ESPN.com reports.
"Sometime, probably next week," Boone said. Judge has primarily played in right field with some center for the Yankees, but the outfielder is going to see some time in left with Giancarlo Stanton patrolling right -- an area that would require Stanton to cover less ground. Judge has only played in left field as a professional in 2016 when he was Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but it shouldn't be a major adjustment for the slugger.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Could play some LF at home
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Judge is under consideration by Yankees manager Aaron Boone to play some left field this season during home games, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reports.
That would allow Boone to play Giancarlo Stanton some in right field, where he wouldn't have to cover much ground, thereby freeing up the designated hitter spot for others. Stanton started 38 games in the outfield last season, although none of those starts came after July. Judge actually played center field more than anywhere else last season but, of course, right field is his natural spot. His only experience in left field came in 2016 at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, when he started seven games there.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Takes reps at first base
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Judge took groundballs at first base on Tuesday in Yankees camp, Pete Caldera of the Bergen Record reports.
Judge has never appeared at first base in a professional game, and this might have just been a fun early spring endeavor for the big slugger, but Caldera notes that he was wearing a first baseman's glove on his left hand and appeared to be going through legitimate drills. A little more defensive versatility couldn't hurt, especially if something were to go wrong physically this year with Anthony Rizzo. Judge currently projects to serve as the Yankees' everyday right fielder in 2023.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Back in Bronx on nine-year deal
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Judge and the Yankees agreed Wednesday on a nine-year, $360 million contract, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, Judge had higher offers on the table from the Giants and Padres, but he was eager to remain with the Yankees coming off a season in which he set a new American League record with 62 home runs. He'll take home $40 million annually as part of his new deal, which keeps him in The Bronx through 2031, his age-39 season. Though Judge likely would have been a first-round fantasy selection in the majority of leagues regardless of where he landed in free agency, the fact that he's returning to New York at least removes some concerns about how a park change might influence his projection.
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Aaron Judge: Awarded AL MVP
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Judge was named the 2022 American League MVP on Thursday.
Judge set the AL home run record with 62 long balls on the season, and he also amassed an impressive 133 runs and 131 RBI. That was good for an immaculate 207 wRC+, a mark that led the league by 22 points. Judge tallied 28 of 30 first-place votes and totaled 410 points, followed by Shohei Ohtani (280) and Yordan Alvarez (232).
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Drops to second spot in lineup
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Judge will bat second in Saturday's ALDS Game 3 matchup against the Guardians.
Judge spent most of the stretch run batting leadoff, though that might have been primarily about getting him as many at-bats as possible in his quest to set the American League home run record. While his .425 on-base percentage is an excellent fit for the role, the leadoff spot minimizes the number of runners on base when he bats. The lineup change could therefore be a tactical one, though it's just as likely that it's an effort to shake things up for the superstar slugger, who's gone 0-for-8 with seven strikeouts thus far this postseason. Gleyber Torres will step into the leadoff role.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Sits after slugging milestone homer
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Judge is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Rangers, Erik Boland of Newsday reports.
Just as Yankees manager Aaron Boone had hinted might be the case, Judge will be on the bench for the regular-season finale after slugging his American League-record 62nd home run in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader. Since he'll be resting Wednesday, Judge -- who holds a .311 batting average -- likely won't have a chance at passing the Twins' Luis Arraez (.315) for the AL batting crown. In addition to the home runs category, Judge also leads the AL with 131 RBI, so he'll narrowly miss out on claiming the Triple Crown.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Sets AL record with 62nd homer
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Judge went 2-for-7 with a solo home run and an additional run between both ends of Tuesday's doubleheader split with the Rangers.
Judge smacked his 62nd long ball of the season in his first trip to the plate during the second game of the twin bill, breaking a tie with former Yankees great Roger Maris for the American League record. The slugger's chase for the record-tying and record-setting home runs seemed to affect how pitchers approached him over the past two weeks, as Judge has drawn walks in 30 percent of his plate appearances while collecting only 41 at-bats in his last 14 games. With the milestone home run now behind Judge, manager Aaron Boone suggested that the outfielder could rest in Wednesday's regular-season finale, though a final decision hasn't yet been made.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Ties Roger Maris with 61st home run
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Judge went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Wednesday's 8-3 victory over Toronto.
Judge made history in the top of the seventh inning, as he crushed the eighth pitch of his at-bat against reliever Tim Mayza 117.4 mph to left field for his 61st home run of the season, tying Roger Maris' long-standing single season AL home run record. All eyes will be on Judge over the final week of the season, as the Yankees have seven games left for the slugger to surpass Maris and set the AL record.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Pursuit of Maris stalled by walks
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Judge went 0-for-1 with two runs and four walks in a 5-2 win against Toronto on Tuesday.
Judge lined out to third base leading off the contest and took a free pass in each of his subsequent four plate appearances. The slugger has gone seven games without a long ball since hitting No. 60 against Pittsburgh on Sept. 20, but that's largely because he's seeing few pitches to hit. Over the seven-contest stretch, Judge has walked 12 times in 31 plate appearances, adding five hits (including three doubles) for a .548 on-base percentage. He has eight games remaining in the regular season to attempt to tie and eclipse Roger Maris' single-season American League record of 61 home runs.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Extends hit streak to 11
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Judge went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored in Wednesday's 14-2 win over Pittsburgh.
While he just missed making history with a ground rule double in the fifth inning, Judge's two hits on the night extended his hitting streak to 11 games. During that stretch, he is 22-for-44 with 10 extra-base hits, 15 runs scored and 10 RBI. His next shot at tying Roger Maris' AL home run record of 61 will come during a four-game set against the Red Sox at home this week.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Ties Babe Ruth with 60th homer
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Judge went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 9-8 victory over Pittsburgh.
After delivering his 60th home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Judge inched closer toward history, tying Babe Ruth for the second-best single-season home-run total in Yankees annals. He also passed Xander Bogaerts for the American League's top batting average to claim the lead, which to go along with his home-run and RBI (128) totals, would give him the Triple Crown if the season ended Tuesday. Judge's remarkable month of September has improved his season-long slash line to .316/.419/.703, and if it holds, he would be the first player to slug over .700 since Barry Bonds achieved the feat in 2004.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Draws closer to AL home run record
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Judge went 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, three runs and a walk during Sunday's 12-8 win over Milwaukee.
Judge extended his hitting streak to nine games during Sunday's high-scoring matchup, and he's had six multi-hit performances across that span. He's up to 59 home runs in 2022 following his multi-homer performance, bringing him within two home runs of tying the single-season American League record set by Roger Maris in 1961. Since the start of September, the 30-year-old has posted a 1.604 OPS with eight home runs, five doubles, 18 runs, 14 RBI and a stolen base over 15 games.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: Slams homers 56 and 57
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Judge went 3-for-4 with two homers, two RBI and three runs scored in Tuesday's extra-inning win over Boston.
The AL MVP candidate had a huge day at the plate Tuesday, as he tied the game up at 3-3 with a solo shot in the sixth inning. After the Red Sox responded with a run of their own, he launched another solo shot to tie the game at 4-4. The multi-home run game was his 10th of the season and gives him a league-best 57 home runs. He also now has a 10-game hitting streak, during which he is 19-for-37 with six home runs, 11 runs scored and 10 RBI.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: On base six times in twin bill
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Judge went 1-for-5 with five walks, a solo home run and a stolen base Wednesday as the Yankees swept a doubleheader with the Twins.
Minnesota's pitchers tried their best to work around the major-league home run leader, but Judge still launched his 55th homer of the season in the fourth inning of the matinee off rookie Louie Varland -- his fourth straight game with a long ball. He then showed off his athleticism by stealing his career-high 16th base of the year in the nightcap. Since the beginning of August, Judge has been an offensive juggernaut, slashing .312/.479/.725 over 33 games with 13 homers, six steals, 23 runs and 27 RBI.
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Yankees' Aaron Judge: On another homer tear
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Judge went 2-for-3 with a two-run home run, a double, a walk and an additional run scored in Monday's 5-2 win against Minnesota.
With the score tied 2-2 in the sixth inning, Judge launched a two-run shot to left field to put New York ahead for good. The performance marked his third straight game with a long ball and pushed his season total to a league-leading 54 homers. Since struggling through a nine-game homerless stretch in mid-August, Judge has gone deep eight times in his subsequent 13 contests.
