3 reasons why Aaron Judge will have another sensational season in 2023
Aaron Judge took the baseball world by storm last season, breaking Roger Maris' American League single-season home run record. He was a monster at the plate. Judge led the league in runs, home runs, RBIs, walks, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+, and total bases. He did all of this during a contract year.
Aaron Judge's 62 home runs in 2022 were 16 more than anyone else in MLB. It's the largest margin in the last 90 years! 😮 https://t.co/c01ghTaQY7
The New York Yankees made him a Yankee for life with his latest deal. The two agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract. Now that he's got the weight of his contract off his shoulders, we could see another crazy year from the reigning American League MVP.
3 reasons why Aaron Judge will have another sensational season in 2023
3. No contract worries
Last season, Judge had a lot on his mind. He had no idea if he would be in the pinstripes next season. Now that Aaron Judge is a Yankee for life, he can go out and play baseball. There won't be any worry about money or where he'll play next season. He doesn't have to worry about potentially getting hurt and killing his mega-contract dream. His sole focus will be on doing whatever it takes to bring the Yankees a World Series title next season.
2. The New York Yankees should be better in 2023
The front office was adamant that they could sign Judge and bring in more top-level talent, and they did just that. The Yankees signed left-handed pitcher Carlos Rodon to a six-year, $162 million deal. He'll help give them one of the scariest rotations in the league. They still have a hole in left field, though. They've been linked to Bryan Reynolds, who asked for a trade from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the start of the winter. This would give the outfield an immediate upgrade. If the team can't find a trade partner to fulfill their outfield needs, we could see Oswaldo Cabrera man the position. They'll also get a full season from Harrison Bader, who was electric for them in the postseason. Whether the team makes an upgrade or not, they'll have a better outfield next season. Judge not having to be the team's everyday center fielder could have a huge impact on his plate performances.
1. Aaron Judge's advanced statistics
Judge has shown insane abilities at the plate his entire career. He has a lifetime barrel percentage of 20.5% and a hard-hit percentage of 56.7%. This shows that 2022 wasn't a fluke. He's been barreling up baseballs since entering the league in 2016.
Barrel rate's a measure of how often hitters crush the ball. As you'd expect, Aaron Judge leads MLB by a wide margin at 26.8 %.
#BlueJays' Teoscar Hernandez (14.2%) also in the top 10 MLB-wide. Matt Chapman (13.3%) ranks 14th.
While we can't expect another 60+ home run season from Judge, we can expect him to dominate at the plate again. He doesn't have to worry about his contract, and he won't be tasked with being the team's everyday center fielder.
It will be interesting to see how Aaron Judge performs next season.