The Judge-ment Is In: Aaron Judge is More Than a One Trick Pony

New York Yankees rookie Aaron Judge will leave you in awe with his power. Judge routinely smashes the ball to all parts of the ballpark both in batting practice and games. His 17 home runs currently lead the majors, and few of them have been cheap. When Judge hits one, the fans almost always get their money's worth. Enjoy watching Judge deposit baseballs into the seats of a ballpark near you this summer but don't let it distract you from the rest of his game. I say this because there is a lot more to his game than the long ball. 

We got our first look at Judge in a Yankees uniform after last season's trade deadline and the results were underwhelming to say the least. Judge flashed some power with his four homers in 27 games but batted only .179 before ending his season on the DL. However, even more alarming than his paltry batting average was the fact that Judge struck out at a 44.2% rate. Judge simply looked over matched by big league pitching in many at bats. 

The 2016 version of Judge seems to be in the rear view mirror because the 2017 version has been nothing short of spectacular. Judge looks like a completely different player. The kind of player that after two months has his name being thrown around in early season MVP discussions. The recognition hasn't come just because of his power but rather because Judge possesses an all-around game. 

Sure Judge's 17 home runs are impressive in just 46 games, but let's look at some other numbers that have impressed me just as much. To start Judge has significantly raised his batting average this year to an impressive .319. That's a 140 point jump compared to last season. Judge isn't an all or nothing power hitter who seems to either strike out or homer almost every plate appearance. Rather Judge has begun hitting the ball to all parts of the ball park this season, often taking tough pitches and turning them into base hits. 

In addition to the jump in batting average, Judge's on-base percentage has risen to an impressive .419; good enough for 8th in Major League Baseball. He is also currently 4th in slugging % and 5th in on-base plus slugging %. Judge looks much more comfortable at the plate this season which has led to these impressive numbers. Further backing this comfort level up is that Judge hasn't chased nearly as many pitches. This has sharply reduced his strikeout percentage to 28.8%. 

In addition to Judge's impressive offensive output is the fact that Judge's fields his position well. He plays a very good right field, displaying good range and a strong arm. This defensive ability was highlighted by an amazing diving catch that he made in Tampa Bay a couple weekends ago. If you haven't seen it then look it up on YouTube. It's one of the best catches that you'll see this season,

Judge is also earning rave reviews from people within the Yankees organization for something that doesn't appear in the box score or on highlight reels. Judge has been lauded by many so far this season for his character and approach to the game. His team first approach in the midst of this two month period of individual success has drawn comparisons to another fan favorite in New York; one whose #2 was retired recently. Those kind of intangibles can't be measured with stats. 

Nobody knows for sure if Judge can sustain this level of success over the course of a full season. His current WAR (Wins Above Replacement) ranks second in all of MLB among position player behind only Mike Trout. There have been plenty of flashes in then pan in baseball through the years and we still only have a small sample size of Judge to go off of. However, what we have seen from Judge over the last two months leads one to believe that this is more than an extended hot streak. The staying power seems to be there. Only time will tell but Judge has made me a believer. This Judge will preside over the chambers of Yankee Stadium for many years to come.