Is Aaron Judge MLB’s Next Big Superstar?
Over the last several years we have seen many Yankee greats retire from the game and be on their way. Jeter, Teixera, Rivera, and A-Rod. With all those top talented names leaving the sport and ultimately leaving a void with the Yankees I wondered how they are going to fill the void. It’s only two months into the regular season and everyone is talking about. Currently he’s batting .323 with 17 HR and 37 RBI. Last year in the 27 games he played his average was .179 with 4 HR and 10 RBI. That’s a huge improvement for a rookie that’s playing full time in a city where the spotlight is constantly on you. So who is Aaron Judge?
Aaron Judge is a 25 year old from from Linden, California. He played baseball, basketball and football throughout high school. Colleges wanted him because of his size. Currently he’s 6’7″ and 282 pounds. I am surprised colleges didn’t want him for all three sports with his size and athleticism. The Yankees drafted him in 2013 but Judge didn’t start playing until 2014 due to injury. His three years in the minors his career average was .278, and with 56 HR and and 215 RBI before being called up by the Yankees in August of 2016. The young man has the whole baseball world watching him right now and he’s doing very well in the spot that he’s in. I recently watched an interview with him on baseball tonight and the kid is already a natural born leader who rallies the team by putting the team first. He has a great character and a great passion for being a Yankee. He’s already got a section at the stadium named after him called “The Judge’s Chambers.” That’s pretty impressive considering he’s not even played 100 total games for the franchise yet. I do think he is going to be the long term answer.
When I see Aaron Judge on TV I am hoping he’s the next Miguel Cabrera and not the next Trevor Story. No disrespect to Story but he had a great early season onslaught of the ball last year and he’s consistently been dropping since. Baseball doesn’t need one year wonders who people lose interest in. They need long term stars like Cabrera, Mike Trout, and Bryce Harper. I believe in five years baseball fans will be putting Aaron Judge in that same category. I’ll be the first to admit I hate the New York Yankees and always will but this kid makes me want to watch them because he was developed in their farm system and not bought off. I really do see a bright future for this kid and I could see him breaking a lot of Yankee records in his career. The jury is still out on Aaron Judge because it’s early in the season and in his career but I believe the verdict will be a positive one.
Stats found at http://www.milb.com
