Aaron Judge remains New York Yankees fans' first choice after rookie makes stunning throw in substitution appearance
When you have a player like Aaron Judge, you aren't exactly looking for replacements. However, the New York Yankees are giving the 2022 AL MVP a break, and his substitute in right field is looking good.
In Monday's preseason game against the Detroit Tigers, Tayler Aguilar got the nod in right field. Aguilar is a 22-year old 2022 Yankees draft pick who came out of Grand Canyon State University.
During the eighth inning, the Yankees were defending a 6-5 lead with one out and a Tigers runner on third base. On a 0-1 pitch, Tigers batter Justyn-Henry Malloy hit a long fly ball deep to right. The runner tagged as Aguilar waited on the fly ball, caught it, and gunned the runner out at home plate.
The Yankees prevailed 8-5 in the game, improving their Grapefruit League record to 3-1. Their next fixture will be against the Tampa Bay Rays on February 28.
Talkin' Yanks, a popular New York Yankees media outlet, shared a video of the play on their Twitter feed. The video was caption suggested that Tayler Aguilar might be giving Aaron Judge some competition for the right field position this year.
Aaron Judge's RF job is officially on the hot seat https://t.co/MCN9jSFMlq
"Aaron Judge's RF job is officially on the hot seat" - @ Talkin' Yanks
Needless to say, Yankees fans were unconvinced that the 22-year old rookie could even be considered a replacement in right field.
Fans of the franchise took to Twitter to express their disagreement with the take, with one of them writing:
"Wtf is this take lmao they didn’t give Judge that money to sit on the bench!"
@TalkinYanks Wtf is this take lmao they didn’t give Judge that money to sit on the bench!
Another simply tweeted:
"I don’t think so…"
@TalkinYanks I don’t think so…
Here are some more reactions:
@TalkinYanks Some people will think you are dead serious which is concerning
@TalkinYanks Stop it. Judge won’t ever be on the hot seat as a RF
@TalkinYanks Solid play, but are we talking about the same Aaron Judge?😂
Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs last season, setting a single-season record. He was subsequently named the captain of the team, making him the first player to carry such a distinction since Derek Jeter.
Tayler Aguilar, by comparison, has never appeared in an MLB game. He did, however, hit .326/.397/.719 with 23 home runs and 75 RBIs in 59 games in his senior year at Grand Canyon State last year.
In addition to his strong throwing ability, Aguilar also has some luscious locks that have caught the attention of fans.
Most were taken aback by the mere suggestion that Aguilar could start in right field for the New York Yankees this season. However, some suggested that there may be a spot in left field for the young Colorado native.
@TalkinYanks How about he just starts in LF
@TalkinYanks if he can play left, we’ll talk
@TalkinYanks Holy lettuce
@TalkinYanks That’s some hair. He’s got the flow..
Aaron Judge's spot is unlikely to be up for grabs, but Tayler Aguilar could play a part in Yankees future
While the original post could not have really been serious, plays like this from a youngster like Aguilar will only help his chances of making the cut one day.
It will probably be a few years before he is ready to take up a starting role on the New York Yankees. However, raising eyebrows while playing for a team of the Yankees' size and popularity never hurts.