As Aaron Judge continues his pursuit of the American League’s triple crown, games like Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays, where opposing managers give him a free base, might become increasingly more common.
But that doesn’t sit right with Juan Soto.
After the New York Yankees secured a series victory with a 4-3 win in the 10th inning, in which Judge was intentionally walked three times, Soto was asked about his reaction to the calls coming from the Blue Jays dugout.
“It sucks. You want him (at) the plate. I’m doing my best to put him up and to see them pass him over, it makes me mad,” the four-time all-star told reporters. “I don’t like that. I want them to challenge him and see what he can really do.”
Judge entered play Sunday with 41 home runs, a .321/.425/.702 slash line and 103 RBIs. An excellent season for any player over the course of 162 games, the 2022 AL MVP has managed to post those video-game-like totals over just 110 contests.
Despite his rampage on MLB in 2024, Judge had only been intentionally walked eight times before Sunday’s game, tied for fifth-most in baseball. But now, Judge owns the highest mark in the league with 11.
“It is what it is. It’s a part of the game,” Soto conceded. “They’re trying to win too, so you respect that.”
Judge ended up going 1-for-2 with a single in New York’s series finale against the Blue Jays but didn’t come across to score a single run despite being on base on four separate occasions.
With Austin Wells lining up as the Yankees’ most common cleanup hitter these days, opposing managers might be picking to face the 25-year-old backstop rather than the major leagues’ home run leader more frequently down the stretch.
“It’s nothing against our pitchers or nothing against anyone else in their lineup,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said post-game about the decision to walk Judge. “It’s singularly focused around how talented Aaron is and the numbers he’s put up, basically at a historic pace.
“So, the less times he can swing, the better, really. I think when you’re facing a guy that’s that good. If we played them again, I would do the same thing.”
Judge became the first Yankees player intentionally walked three times in a single game since Bernie Williams on Sept. 26, 1999.