New York Yankees: Aaron Judge, the Beast

For much of the 2016 season whenever New York Yankees prospect Aaron Judge was mentioned, his size and power were a big talking point. Through two games, Judge has not disappointed.

It’s hard not to get excited about top prospects. Many times they offer hope to a club that is struggling, but their success is far from assured. Both Mike Trout and Byron Buxton struggled when they initially came up to the big leagues, and while Trout has gone on to become regarded as the best player in baseball since 2012, Buxton has people wondering if he’ll pan out. Both were the top prospects in baseball at different times.

Aaron Judge is listed at 6-foot-7 and 275 pounds of muscle. As his first two games in the big leagues can attest, his power rating on the scout’s 20-80 scale is listed at 60 by MLB Pipeline, tied with his arm as his best tools–both of which earned accolades in 2014 as the best tools in his league in the minors.

Power hitters tend to strike out, and Judge did–a lot–in 2015. In 28.5 percent of his at-bats with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to be exact. This season at the same level that rate was cut by nearly five percent, down to 23.9, while his walk rate continued to climb, landing at 12.5 percent at the time of his call up.

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2015 was overall a rough season, as his wRC+ dipped below 133 for the first time since Judge went pro as he finished slightly below league average with a 98. Again, adjustments were made in 2016 as he returned to his regular output of 148. Baseball America mentions that after struggling to control his large strike zone in 2015, Judge lowered his hands this season to be able to get to some of those higher-velocity pitches.

Pipeline compares his size and raw power to that of Giancarlo Stanton, which is obviously some nice company to be in. They project him as either a 20 home run threat that can hit for a decent average, or a 30+ home run masher. The power is undeniable, but they also mentioned that his athleticism and arm strength have seen him in right field the majority of his pro career, while he can also fill-in in center if needed. That is one potentially heck of a player to add to a New York Yankees team that still, even after waiving the white flag at the trade deadline, is in the thick of the wild card race.

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It would be silly to Judge what kind of a big leaguer Judge will be after two games, but what could give us some idea of what his future will look like will be how he performs, and more importantly adjusts, during the final month of the season when he will be facing AL East opponents day after day. The one series that isn’t against these foes is against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and potentially Clayton Kershaw. There will be no breaks for Judge, and September could give us a glimpse into one of the cornerstones of the Yankee offense for their future title runs.