TAMPA — Aaron Judge made his first appearance on the field on Saturday, having a hard two-run single through the left side of the infield in his second at-bat.
“I was happy to be back there,” the judge said. “I was a bit itchy. I saw everyone else doing their things and seeing everyone really look so good. It's time to start.”
It wasn't often found a shortcoming in last year's judge's historic offensive season. He managed to outperform his record-breaking performances from 2022, his career-best performance in most categories on his way to his second MVP award.
But in addition to how the judges' season ended, a playoff slump helped the Yankees cost the World Series – he also didn't make a strong start to the regular season.
That's why the judge said he was considering getting extra work at the plate before the start, starting with two at-bats in Houston's 9-3 Grapefruitreeg win at Stein Brenner Field on Saturday.
This comes after the judge won 24 at-bats in a Grapefruitreeg match last spring. This is because Aaron Boone said the judge was “a middle spring beat up” and the manager gave him 10 days of leave.
The judge said he would like to have 40 or 50 at-bats this spring in either a spring training game or a simulated game in the backfield.
“It might help us start April when it gets a little better,” the judge said of the plan.
Last year, the judge only had six homers and a .414 slugging rate to go with .754 OPS at the end of April.
And while these numbers were far worse in every month of his season, his .940 career ops in April is the lowest of any other batters in the majors.
Asked last April if he felt “not ready,” the judge said, “I definitely felt ready, but look into it. This is one pathway to help us get off to a better start.”
He added his slow first month: “I felt ready. I definitely felt ready on the first day, but looking back at the season, I'll say, “I might try to improve.” If you want to improve your bench press, do more push-ups. Anything you have to do. If you want to improve your season, more at-bats may help improve your season. ”
Of course, the judges were monsters for the rest of the regular season.
Since May 4, the judge has led the majors in almost all offensive categories, far surpassing the Dodgers' Shohei ohtani, reaching .357 with a slugging percentage of 1.282 OPS, 52 Homer and .790 compiled the war of 10.8.
Giancarlo Stanton will put his tennis elbows out on both elbows indefinitely. This is an injury that keeps Stanton out at least at the beginning of the regular season, and the judges will rely on it.
And last year, the judge also had the luxury of hitting the back of Juan Soto, who is now on the other side of town with the Mets.
Now it's a judge's show, and perhaps more than ever.
