"Aaron Judge, I can still hit a softball further than you can hit a baseball" - Polarizing power hitter Jose Canseco brazenly calls out AL home run king on Twitter
Aaron Judge is one of the best hitters in baseball, as evidenced by his 62 home runs and a .311/.425/1.111 slash line this year. Jose Canseco was too, in his day, and he's banking on those hitting skills not fading in the 21 years since he officially retired.
He boldly called out the presumptive American League MVP on Twitter, telling the slugger that he could still hit a softball further than the Yankees outfielder could hit a baseball.
By the way Aaron judge I can still hit a softball further than you can hit a baseball anytime you want to find out contact me
"By the way Aaron Judge I can still hit a softball further than you can hit a baseball anytime you want to find out contact me," he tweeted.
Canseco smashed over 400 home runs in his career, and Judge might be on his way to that sort of total if he can keep up his current pace.
Canseco believes that he could, today, hit a softball further than a Judge home run, which is an absurd claim. Softballs are denser and heavier than a baseball and they don't fly as far when hit.
The outfielder hits home runs over 400 feet all the time. To hit a softball over 400 feet would require an impressive feat of strength. Still, the retired Silver Slugger believes he could do it.
The New York Yankees star's longest home run this season sailed 465 feet. For his career, the longest came in his rookie season when he mashed a baseball 495 feet.
Which hitter was better: Aaron Judge or Jose Canseco?
Canseco earned an MVP in his playing time. The Yankees star is very likely to win one this year and probably should have taken home the award in 2017, too.
Canseco was a career .266 hitter, and Judge rests at .284 after six seasons. Canseco's career was marked by a 130 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus). The 2017 AL Rookie of the Year is at an impressive 163.
The former Oakland A's star slugged .515 in his illustrious career. The man he called out on Twitter has a .583 slugging percentage thus far.
It's difficult to compare since the two have vastly different career lengths. Canseco played 17 seasons. However, based on their numbers, it looks like the Yankees right fielder has been a better hitter and as long as he doesn't sputter to the finish line, he'll finish his career that way, too.
He also doesn't have steroid abuse allegations over his head like Canseco did, but perhaps that's how he'll hit a softball further than Judge will hit a baseball.