MLB Twitter not sold on analyst’s take on Aaron Judge: “Not even the best center fielder in New York"
When New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs last season, it was hard not to regard the 30-year old as the best in the game.
Judge was crowned the 2022 AL MVP, gifted a nine-year, $960 million contract extension, and named the first captain of the Yankees since Derek Jeter. It seemed like the baseball world did indeed see him in a league of his own.
MLB analyst Jon Heyman recently posted a tweet referring to Aaron Judge as the "best center fielder in baseball." Contrary to what you might expect, the post generated a very mixed reception.
Oh my, Judge with another run-saving catch. He’s the best CF in baseball, prove I’m wrong. The Yankees may actually have the two best CFs.
"Oh my, Judge with another run-saving catch. He’s the best CF in baseball, prove I’m wrong. The Yankees may actually have the two best CFs." - Jon Heyman
Heyman's remarks came after Judge's run-saving grab in a game on April 19 against the Los Angeles Angels, a contest the Bombers won by a score of 3-2. However, fans had their own views on Judge.
@JonHeyman He's not the best CF in baseball, not even close. He is one of the best RF in baseball. Yankee Stadium has one of the smallest CF of all stadiums due to the short RF dimensions.
Despite playing in one of the smallest CF in baseball, his metrics put him just above middle of the… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
@JonHeyman Omg Heyman. It’s like a parody account at this point.
So far in 2022, the 6-foot-7 superslugger is hitting .274/.382/.597 with 6 home runs and 11 RBIs. Although these numbers are well above average, a new addition to the New York Yankees has stolen some of the big man's thunder.
Since signing an emergency one-year deal with the Yankees just hours before their opening day match, Franchy Cordero has come alive for his team.
The Dominican utility man has hit .200/.238/.525 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs, placing him just behind Aaron Judge in offensive output so far this season. Last year, Cordero only appeared in 84 games last season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.
@JonHeyman Proof you're wrong: 33rd is not 1st LOL https://t.co/iAVL2iRXPN
@JonHeyman Not even the best defensive CF on his own team lil bro
@JonHeyman Jon 🥴 that’s like saying Jeter was a great defensive SS. He has limited range. Makes some good plays no doubt but come on man
@JonHeyman Not even best center fielder in New York
New York Yankees fans are, by their very nature, a critical community. Although Judge has not really given fans grounds for dissatisfaction, they seem to be finding it anyway.
@JonHeyman Jon , Jon, please , don’t star with the narrative. It’s to early in the season, to sell Judge, guess what? It’s not gonna happen, specially after seeing him in the post- season!
@JonHeyman Haven’t seen this much Judge worship since the last Clarence Thomas vacation, Jon.
Fans have also taken the liberty to compare Judge, who normally plays in right or left field anyways, to other center fielders around the league like Mike Trout and Brandon Nimmo. Although being the best is subjective, it's hard to see any of those names holding more cache than Aaron Judge.
@JonHeyman Judge is fine, but there are a number of better center fielders
@JonHeyman Mike trout?
@JonHeyman Does Mike Trout just not exist? I mean this is an absolutely horrible take
@JonHeyman Brandon Nimmo exists
Aaron Judge has history on the horizon
Fans can say what they will about Judge and his early-season stats, but the 2023 year has hardly begun.
With Aaron Judge possibly joining an elite list of players to hit 60 home runs in back-to-back seasons, the big man cannot afford to get distracted from the noise emanating from armchair managers.
We will see if he can silence his critics in the coming games.