**NEW YORK** — Aaron Judge has been dominating pitchers for over three months, with his stats resembling something from a video game set on the easiest level. Despite numerous attempts to contain the towering New York Yankees star, he has continued to excel. Recently, a daring new strategy has emerged to manage his impact.
In late July, the New York Mets pioneered a strategy by consistently pitching around Judge, resulting in four walks, one of which was intentional, and a Mets victory. On Saturday, the Toronto Blue Jays followed suit, issuing three intentional walks to Judge after he hit a home run in the first inning.
“It’s tough,” Judge admitted. “I always want to hit.”
The Jays’ decision to issue their first intentional walk with nobody on base and two outs in the second inning was a rare move, the first such occurrence in over 50 years. The following day, Judge was intentionally walked again with two outs and a runner at first base in the fifth inning, while the Blue Jays led 2-0.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone humorously remarked, “Oh, so that’s beyond the Bonds treatment. Now we’ll call it the Judge treatment.” Boone’s comment was in jest, as Barry Bonds holds the major league record with 232 walks — 120 of them intentional — in 2004. Judge has accumulated 92 walks this season, with only 11 being intentional, but his current performance is reminiscent of Bonds’ peak years.
Judge, 32, is hitting .321 with 41 home runs and a 1.147 OPS in 114 games. Excluding his atypical struggles in the first month, his numbers are even more remarkable: a .368/.500/.803 line with 37 home runs and 91 RBIs in 87 games. Two years after setting an AL-record with 62 home runs, Judge is on track for 58 homers and impressive stats in other categories, showcasing an exceptional level of play.
However, this dominance has resulted in fewer opportunities to make an impact.
As the Yankees emerge from a six-week slump, a compelling question arises: Will opponents routinely avoid pitching to Judge down the stretch and into October?
“It’s strategic,” said Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. “I love watching him hit, though, so I wish they didn’t do it.”
With an intentional walk in the first game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, Judge became the first Yankees player since 1962 to receive five intentional walks in a three-game stretch. Babe Ruth is the only other Yankees player to have been intentionally walked five times in a three-game span, achieving this in 1923. Judge’s streak of intentional walks over three games is tied for the third-longest in franchise history.
“It sucks because you want him at the plate,” said Yankees right fielder Juan Soto. “I’m doing my best to put him up, and to see them pass him over, it makes me mad. I don’t like that. I want them to challenge him and see what he can really do. But it is what it is. It’s part of the game. They’re trying to win too, so you respect that.”
While intentional walks were more common in past eras, recent data and the removal of pitchers hitting in the National League have reduced their frequency. The strategy became a viable option again when the Yankees’ lineup struggled around Soto and Judge in June and late July, despite the All-Stars maintaining impressive numbers. Since June 4, Yankees hitters have managed just 4 hits in 39 at-bats and five walks following Judge’s 47 walks during that period.
Soto and Judge have consistently occupied the second and third spots in the batting order all season. Boone has considered swapping Soto and Judge to encourage teams to pitch to Judge, and he’s even thought about having them bat first and second.
“Probably wouldn’t necessarily go that route,” Boone added. “But you never say never.”
For now, the most straightforward way to get teams to pitch to Judge is for rookie catcher Austin Wells to continue his recent strong performance. Since June 27, Wells has improved significantly, batting .312 with a .411 OPS and six home runs, up from his earlier .213 average and .618 OPS.
