Aaron Judge’s growth as a hitter continues to amaze, even those who have watched his career closely from the start.
Former Yankees manager Joe Girardi, now a commentator for the YES Network, has noticed significant improvements in Judge’s game that have taken him to new heights in the 2024 season.
Back in 2017, Judge burst onto the scene, smashing 52 home runs to set a then-MLB rookie record.
Many thought he had peaked, but he shattered the American League single-season home run record in 2022 with 62 dingers.
Now, in 2024, Judge is proving that he might be even better, demonstrating remarkable all-around performance. Through 111 games, Judge is batting .322 with 41 home runs, 103 RBIs, 92 walks, a .456 on-base percentage, a 1.157 OPS.
He leads the Majors in nearly every one of these categories, trailing only in batting average where he ranks third.
Girardi, who managed the Yankees from 2008-2017, has been particularly impressed by Judge’s development.
He recalls Judge’s rookie days when he showed flashes of brilliance but also struggled, particularly with breaking balls. In 2016, Judge hit just .179 in 27 games, though he did homer in his first MLB at-bat.
“I mean, I don’t think he had the ability when he first came up to necessarily hit a fastball down and away for a line drive over the second baseman’s head like he did,” Girardi said. “But he does now, and you’re like, ‘Come on, man. Really?’”
“I remember how respectful he was and then just watching him hit, how the ball jumped off his bat,” Girardi recalled to Erik Boland of Newsday. “I remember thinking, ooh, this could be something.”
And something he became. Judge’s 2017 rookie campaign was historic, though not without its flaws.
He led the league with 208 strikeouts, often fooled by breaking pitches. Girardi notes the significant improvements Judge has made in this area.
“In 2017, he batted .212 on breaking balls with a .429 slug,” Girardi said. “He’s hitting .263 with a .609 slug [this year]. What I’ve seen is that he’s learned to lay off the chase breaking ball and swing at the hanger. And he’s very dangerous.
“He’s always hit fastballs, but to me that [adjustment to breaking balls] has been the biggest improvement.”
Judge’s ability to adapt and improve is evident in his statistics.
This season, he has already hit 13 home runs off breaking pitches, second only to his 2022 total of 21. According to Baseball Savant, his whiff rate on breaking balls has decreased from 50% in 2017 to 41% this year.
Girardi highlights the importance of this improvement: “What you’ve seen is that in 2017, his whiff rate on breaking balls was 50%. This year it’s 41%. But that’s a substantial difference. Because that means for every 100, he’s hitting nine more of them. And if he hits it, it’s damage because he has learned to lay off pitches.
“This is the lowest his strikeout rate has ever been. And that’s scary. A guy with his power to have almost average strikeout percentage, that’s a scary thought.”
As Girardi knows, there were times before Judge was called up to the Bigs where many in the organization wondered if he had what it took to be a productive Major Leaguer.
Some thought the best-case scenario for Judge was to turn into a Chris Davis “home run or strikeout” type of slugger … But instead, to his credit, he’s turned into a perennial MVP candidate who’s capable of doing everything on the baseball field.
Almost lost in Judge’s amazing talent is his incredible leadership skills and the fact that he is everything you’d want your captain to be, both on and off the field.
In the early days, did you ever think Judge would actually turn out this way? … Or did you have your doubts???