New York Yankees: What if Aaron Judge and Pete Alonso swapped teams

Let’s have some fun amidst all the craziness going on today. What would the New York Yankees look like if they had Pete Alonso instead of Aaron Judge?

Back in the 1940s, fans sat around the hot stove and talked baseball. One interesting topic was, what if New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio and Boston great Ted Williams traded paces. That meant Williams would be able to take full advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right field porch. In Boston, Joe D would have patrolled center at Fenway, next to his brother Dom and batting against the backdrop of the Green Monster.

EWB modernized the debate for 2020. What if the Yankees had New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso instead of Aaron Judge. How much different would the Bronx Bombers have been?

Judge has been a staple of the Yankees lineup since 2017 when he emerged on the scene and blasted an all-time rookie record. He led the AL with, 52 home runs and tallied 114 RBI while hitting .284 with a 1.049 OPS. He played in 155 games, made the All-Star team, won the 2017 HR Derby, was the Rookie of the Year, earned a Silver Slugger Award, and was the runner up for American League MVP. A season for the ages where Judge showed tons of promise for the Yanks future.

The 6-7 right fielder then followed up his rookie season with two years of playing roughly 100 games apiece and had respectable numbers. In 2018, Judge hit .278 with 27 home runs and 67 RBI. Then in 2019, he hit .272 with 27 home runs and 55 RBI. The common theme of both years was time missed due to injuries.

In addition to his offensive numbers, Judge’s play in the field is elite. He’s been one of the best defensive right fielders in the game. After four seasons in the majors (he played 27 games in 2016), Judge leaves you wanting more. He has legendary potential if his body can hold up.

Last year, in Queens, Alonso had a phenomenal rookie season himself. He broke Judge’s rookie home run record by launching an NL-leading 53 dingers and drove in 120 runs. Polar Bear Pete played in 161 games, made the All-Star team, won the 2019 HR Derby, and National League Rookie of the Year Award.

The 6-3 first baseman quickly became a household name with fans around the country during and after his rookie campaign. His nickname, “Polar Bear,” became a brand. Let’s take a peek at a “What If” version of the New York Yankees. A version in which the Mets first baseman is a core member of this young group of Bombers.