Seattle – Aaron Judge is starting to build a strong case for another impressive offensive season as a modern right-handed batter.
For many Yankees fans, the benchmarks for success in this arena remain Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols.
“I model a lot of my game after Cabrera and Pujols, who I consider the best right-handed hitters,” Judge mentioned before the Yankees triumphed over the Mariners 11-5 on Monday. “Chasing their success has helped me perform well, no matter where I bat in the lineup. If I’m hitting third, I can drive someone in.”
During his MVP seasons, he finished close to the triple crown twice but missed out on the batting average. Last year, his average was .311, just behind Luis Arraez’s .316.
This year, he improved to a .322 average, but he was surpassed by Bobby Witt Jr. at .332 and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at .323.
There’s still a long way to go in the season, but on Monday, he went 2-3 with a couple of RBIs, raising his batting average to .414 along with 14 home runs.
In fact, last week brought a solid five-game stretch for Judge. He seemed more mortal, managing only three hits in 19 at-bats and dropping below the .400 mark by Friday. But then, on Saturday, he hit two home runs, and followed with a strong 4-5 performance on Sunday.
“I guess it’s just another day at the office for him,” teammate Ben Rice joked. “It’s wild to witness what he does; it never fails to impress.”
Lewis Gill is expected to return from his recent issues with forearm discomfort, according to Boone, and he has been ramping up his routine over the past few weeks.
If all goes smoothly for the Yankees, they hope to integrate their 2024 rookies back into the rotation by early July.
Meanwhile, Giancarlo Stanton is set to head to Tampa for some quick hitting practice, as Boone indicated. JT Brubaker, recovering after breaking three ribs in spring training, is also a potential depth option as he progresses through live batting practice sessions.
