Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things again, folks.
The New York Yankees captain launched his 12th home run of the season Tuesday night, a 424-foot blast that ties him for the MLB lead. We're not even through April, and Judge is already in vintage form.
This is what elite power looks like. This is what happens when one of baseball's most dangerous hitters is healthy and locked in. The ball jumped off Judge's bat at 112 mph, a moonshot that never had a chance of staying in the park. By the time it landed, everyone in the stadium knew it was gone.
Judge is hitting .298 with 12 home runs and 28 RBIs through the season's first month. He's on pace for - checks calculator - about 70 home runs. Will he get there? Probably not. But the fact that we're even doing the math tells you everything about how he's swinging the bat.
The question with Judge is never about talent. We know he's capable of historic seasons - he proved that when he hit 62 home runs in 2022, breaking Roger Maris's American League record. The question is always about health. Can he stay on the field for 150+ games?
If he can, the Yankees are going to be dangerous. New York has struggled to consistently contend in recent years, but a healthy, productive Aaron Judge changes everything. He's the kind of player who can carry an offense for weeks at a time.
Twelve home runs in April. Tied for the league lead. Crushing balls 424 feet. This is peak Judge, and it's beautiful to watch.
The season is long, and there's a lot of baseball left to play. But right now, Aaron Judge is the most dangerous hitter in baseball. And when he's healthy and swinging like this, there's nobody you'd rather have at the plate. That's what sports is all about, folks.
