Aaron Judge had a landmark season this year, but don’t expect that to happen again. MLB insider Bob Klapisch says the next two years for the New York Yankees and Judge could be very different.
Klapisch wrote via NJ.com:
“Let’s be optimistic and say Judge stays healthy. And then let’s be realistic and write the big man down for 50-something HRs. Make it under 50. The Yankees can be successful with a minor reduction in Judge’s production, but it’s just as Importantly, he maintains his MLB-best .425 on-base percentage in 2023. Rather: Judge must accept a guaranteed walk increase.”
He compared Judge to Barry Bonds and says pitchers don’t pitch to Judge:
“Nobody’s going to pitch to him. Why would they? Look at how opponents treated Barry Bonds the year after his historic 73 home runs in 2001. He set what was then a major league record by drawing 198 walks. Bonds’ plate discipline was legendary. Judge, who led the majors last year with 111 free passes, will likely need to be even more patient in 2023.”
He also said that robotic umpires could seriously hurt the Yankees outfielder’s production:
“And here’s a thought to file: If robotic umpires are on the way in 2024, Judge won’t be happy about the new strike zone. Any pitch that crosses home plate as a strike, even the lower quadrant of the box, will be called a strike, even if the ball ends up in the dirt in the catcher’s glove.”
Judge will see fewer hittable pitches in 2023 and if the robotic umpires don’t work as perfectly as they should, or work too well, Judge could have trouble with low called strikes once again.
Aaron Judge and robotic referees: a good idea?
Generally speaking, robotic referees (as long as they work properly) are a good idea in principle. Too often players, especially Aaron Judge, have their bats knocked out of their hands or the turn at bat changed entirely due to a poor strike call.
Robotic umpires should fix that, but will they also call strikes pitches that a giant like the Yankees star can’t reasonably hit?
He has excellent plate discipline and knows the zone, so he won’t really chase them. Will he be forced to do it? It seems that 2024 has the answer to that.
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