New York Yankees: Is Aaron Judge the Next Great Slugger

New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge has taken the Bronx by storm. Does he have what it takes to continue his hot hitting and become one of the best sluggers in baseball?

He’s blasted a home run in his very first plate appeareance. He’s been red hot keying a few New York Yankees victories and has displayed impressive power that manager Joe Girardi attributes partially to his “football” physique.

Listed at a massive 6’7 and weighing close to 275 pounds, Aaron Judge is one of, if not the largest position players in the majors. He resembles a defensive lineman more than a baseball player at first glance, and you can only imagine the enormous power he is able to generate. His build recalls that of past sluggers like Frank Thomas, Willie Stargell and current Marlins star and $300 million dollar man Giancarlo Stanton. But can Judge be the next great slugger? The Evidence points to a resounding yes.

Over the years we have seen sluggers come in all shapes in sizes, Stanton who has a similar physique to Judge, to a Ken Griffey or even a Chase Utley. The latter two utilized sweet swings and great balance to drive balls out the park as opposed to the aforementioned. Yankees fans may be in for a treat as Judge looks to harness the best of both worlds, working on ironing out the details of his swing mechanics to mesh with his great natural ability.

A former high school receiver, Judge is not just some big hulking brute, but a terrific all-around athlete. The cuts and direction changes that an athlete has to make as a receiver requires physical prowess, great hips, and quick feet. All of these abilities lend themselves to great hitting mechanics, with plate discipline being the thread that ties it all together. Great plate commanders like Gary Sheffield and Barry Bonds possessed these same features. They generated great power because of their quick hands, and great hips. Most players would dream of a tool-set like Judge has to work with.

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Judge has said earlier this season he made the adjustment lowering his hands, and adding a leg kick to his swing, which helps him with timing and to generate that extra torque. A necessary change when he stepped up a level in the minors from Double-A to Triple-A ball. The sound of Judge taking batting practice now sounds like the Hulk trying to tear the cover off the world.

One ball at a time, you can feel the swing getting better, and that is a good thing. As is Judge’s willingness to continuously work on his game. He states the caliber of players around of him on every level has been inspiration to rise to the challenge to be as great as he can be. That’s great to hear from a young player. Even better when he’s four games into his major league career.

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That proactive approach, and healthy competitive nature, is another indication of the star power that you see as soon as he steps to the plate. Natural ability, combined with true hunger is what defines a great athlete, no matter the sport. A week and a half on the job and being dropped in the middle of a heated stretch to the postseason may be the fire that Judge needs to continue on the path to becoming the next great slugger.

The kid is on his way.

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