"I don’t care what Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout does...." - Popular Yankees radio host thinks it's impossible to be better than Aaron Judge
After Aaron Judge set a single-season record with 62 home runs in the 2022 season, even his detractors could no longer viably hold the opinion that he wasn't a generational superstar.
For good measure, the 6-foot-7 New York Yankees outfielder is following up his massive 2022 with an equally spectacular 2023 season. Judge's 19 home runs in 49 games this season leads the AL, and puts the big man second in the MLB, just behind Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
Although Aaron Judge is known for his ability to clobber the baseball, his defensive play has been just as mesmerizing. Recently, a popular New York radio host commended the California native for another strong season. Speaking on his popular WFAN radio show, host Sal Licata said of Judge:
“I don’t care what Shohei Ohtani or Mike Trout does. Here’s what I know…I’m not knocking those guys, but here’s what I’ll say. You can’t be better than Aaron Judge is at playing baseball right now. There’s just no way."
Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout, both of the Los Angeles Angels, are often held up as the league's best players. Judge narrowly beat out Shohei Ohtani in last year's AL MVP voting race after the Japanese sensation continues to woo fans with successive two-way performances.
Licata was making reference to Judge's unreal outfield snag off of Los Angeles Dodgers slugger JD Martinez on June 4. Judge tracked the ball down to the rightfield corner and busted through a gate as he caught Martinez' ball
AARON JUDGE MAKES THE CATCH AND ALMOST TAKES THE DOOR WITH HIM https://t.co/EBfdNI8zx4
"AARON JUDGE MAKES THE CATCH AND ALMOST TAKES THE DOOR WITH HIM" - Talkin Baseball
Although Aaron Judge would miss the next game with a toe injury on account of the grab, videos of the play quickly gained massive online attention. Licata's praise of Judge was a direct result of the unbelievable catch.
The New York Yankees need to be more than Aaron Judge
While it's true that having a superstar on a team can easily eclipse the other talent, some have pointed out that the New York Yankees are relying on Judge to a worrying degree.
With the team's record slowly improving, the team will need to ensure that their other big guns are firing so that the weight of baseball's most famous team does not come crashing down on Judge, as it has for many of the team's victories thus far this season.