It's not supposed to be this easy, hitting moonshots with the kind of backspin and torque that reminds old timers of Mickey Mantle. But there's more to Aaron Judge than history these days. The way he looks at the plate, all 6-foot-7, 280 pounds of him, and the way he's intimidating pitchers, this baby Bomber has become Lebron in cleats.
It's true _ Judge is unstoppable and not just because he's on his way to a clean sweep of the AL's Rookie of the Year award. He's set his sights on the MVP, having slugged his 49th and 50th HRs of the season in an 11-3 rout of the Royals on Monday. Judge blew past Mark McGwire for the single-season rookie record and is looking to climb even higher in the Yankees' final six games.
"Who knows, he might even hit 60," is what Gary Sanchez said with a perfectly straight face. The Yankees are all in on Judge, having seen his swing re-ignited and leaving pitchers with the uncomfortable choice of walking him or risk getting taken deep.
Judge has hit four HRs in the last two games and with 13 in September alone, which makes for a compelling case for the MVP. Would the Yankees be hosting next week's wild-card game without him? Would they even be in the running for the post-season?
Granted, there's a flip side to this logic. Judge vaporized in July and August and might've cost the Bombers a chance to win the East. If you believe that, your vote probably goes to Jose Altuve, who's been among baseball's elite for years, and is currently batting 65 points higher than Judge.
But Houston is leading the West by 18 games and hasn't been seriously challenged since May. You want to make a counter-argument against Altuve? The Astros are so dominant it's likely they'd still be in first place without the little powerhouse second baseman.
It's a question of semantics, really. If the MVP goes to most talented player on a terrific team, Altuve is a fine candidate. But in terms of sheer value, the Yankees say Judge is at the top of the list.
"You think about how much Aaron means to us, it has to be him (for the MVP)," said Didi Gregorius. "I'm not saying that just because he set the record. I felt this way when he was at 40-45 home runs."
True to his nature, Judge deflected the praise on Monday, even as it washed over him in waves. Instead, the slugger said he would give the ball from the record-setting 50th HR to his parents, "who've done so much for me. They've meant the world to me."
Judge went on to describe how playing for the Yankees has been a "dream come true" and becoming an historic figure in the Bronx, "is just hard to describe." He remains astonishingly humble for someone now at the level of a super-star — an anointed prince of New York.
Yet, you don't hear it in Judge's demeanor or his words. He handled every question with a pause — a mechanism he uses to make sure his responses aren't misinterpreted. The caution is admirable, but Judge doesn't have to worry; he is practically without ego.
That's why even a veteran like Todd Frazier can't say, "it's an honor to know Aaron. It's been an honor to play with him."
And that endorsement doesn't begin to quantify the Yankees' respect for his hitting skills. Case in point was Judge's third-inning home run, a dismantling of Ryan Buchter's up-and-in fastball that went screaming over the wall in right field.
It was an example of Judge's ferocious opposite-field power and an illustration of his contrasting personas. As gentle and thoughtful as he is off the field, Judge is capable of frightening force and fury against a four-seamer. Even the way he stands at the plate sends an ominous message to opponents: I can hurt you.
Buchter learned the hard way. That fastball, clocked at 93-mph and moving up towards Judge's hands, nevertheless left the bat at 107.3-mph. Frazier just shook his head.
"Not many players can do that," he said. "I can't think of one off the top of my head."
And to think Judge was invisible for two long months, striking out so often the Yankees stopped calling it a slump and started looking for a deeper reason. Depending on who you asked, Judge was either hurt or tired or sagging under the psychological burden of being an instant-on star.
A less-grounded athlete would've caved altogether, but Frazier observed an inner strength in Judge that was unusual for a 25-year-old. "Aaron never flinched," he said, as the rookie slowly worked his way to back to Terminator-like status.
It's pointless to ask Judge what his self-help secret was, because his answer is always simple and streamlined. Long season is what he kept telling himself during the dogs. Ups and downs are woven in the fabric of every baseball summer. You'll be OK.
And he was right. Here is Judge, the Yankees' best hitter, maybe the most dangerous slugger in either league. MVP or not, you wouldn't want to pitch to him these days.
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