by Yankees manager Aaron Boone explains everything star Aaron Judge has done so well.
BALTIMORE — It’s impossible for Aaron Judge to go unnoticed. He’s 6-foot-7 and 282 pounds. He’s the face of the Yankees after an incredible 2017 that saw him win American League Rookie of the Year in a landslide and finish second in the MVP race.
Still, it’s almost as if Judge has flown under the radar in what’s been a season filled with all kinds of spectacular — for mostly better, but sometimes worse — for the Yankees.
Judge has quietly hit .292 with 15 home runs, tied for sixth-most in the AL, and a 1.008 OPS.
He’s easily supplanted shortstop Didi Gregorius as team MVP. Gregorius has cooled off big-time since his scorching April earned him AL Player of the Month honors.
“He’s been great,” manager Aaron Boone said of Judge before the Yankees’ game against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Thursday night.
“He really has been so consistent for us. I feel like the at-bat quality for him, all the things we talk about it seems like with you guys everyday, grinding out at-bats, he just makes it so hard on the pitcher, you can see the pitcher really have to work so hard and pitch carefully to him.
He’s been worth 2.7 WAR, according to Fangraphs, the sixth-highest mark in baseball and seems a shoo-in to make his second straight All-Star Game.
Judge has also dropped his strikeout percentage nearly two full points, from 30.7 percent in 2017 to 29 percent entering Thursday.
Judge has easily outshined Giancarlo Stanton, who was expected to rival Judge’s star power. The Yankees acquired Stanton, the reigning National League MVP, in a trade with the Marlins in December. Stanton has mostly disappointed, hitting .248 with 11 homers and 29 RBI. He’s got a .793 OPS.
“He controls the strike zone and honestly the power — he’s just been one of the best players in the league on a nightly basis for us,” Boone said.
Brendan Kuty may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BrendanKutyNJ. Find NJ.com Yankees on Facebook.
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