Many people were concerned about Aaron Judge’s slow start in April after seemingly never experiencing a slump during his time with the New York Yankees in 2022 and 2023. Judge has lit up the league since the calendar changed to May, and he is the favorite to win the American League MVP award. On May 5, Judge closed his stance slightly and blasted a home run off Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. He talked openly about how the change benefited him.
“Just staying on the away pitch a little better,” Aaron Judge told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic. “A lot of teams want to throw sliders away, sliders away, and then show heaters inside, sliders away—the same thing. Just starting a little closed or straight up, which is what I normally do, allows me to remain on those a bit better.”
Since then, he has performed at record levels, helping the Yankees become one of the top teams in MLB by 2024. Judge also stated that the change puts him in a better position to hit outside pitches, which are frequently thrown against him.
“I always want to get back to square when I land,” Judge said Kuty. “But sometimes, when I’m starting way out there, I feel like I never came back to square, so that pitch away felt even further. So if I start more square, you have a greater chance of remaining on some balls.”
Why did Aaron Judge make this adjustment?
Aaron Judge (99), the New York Yankees designated hitter, knocks a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Yankee Stadium.
In baseball, it is difficult to judge when and when not to make an adjustment, and considering Judge’s success in 2022 and 2023, it may have been justified for him to stick with his technique based on previous outcomes. However, Judge stated that he chose to make the alteration after studying his own film.
“There’s certain things that you have to stick the course with and you know things will turn (around),” stated Judge via Kuty. “But these are the little things where you just watch your tape and analyze your game and little things can stick out and it’s like, well, let me see if this will work.”
Clearly, the tweak worked, and Judge will need to keep producing as the Yankees and Baltimore Orioles are tied for the American League East crown.
