In Photos: Aaron Judge clicks stunning photos of Yankees teammates during spring training
Among the league's elite players, Aaron Judge may be the name most looking to rebound in 2024. Recently, the Yankees' captain showed fans that his skills supersede the batter's box.
In a recent Facebook post, the New York Yankees' official account shared a collection of photographs claimed to be taken by Judge. The captures ranged from in-play shots of the action, and one even featured the 6-foot-7 outfielder handling a large camera from the dugout area.
The 31-year-old has no prior camera experience and simply decided to try his hand one day. Although the pictures are surprisingly well-documented, Yankees fans would likely prefer Judge to stick to the bat, rather than the tripod.
"Aaron Judge took all of these photos" - New York Yankees
In 2022, Judge clobbered 62 home runs, surpassing the record of 61 home runs, set by fellow Yankee Roger Maris in 1961. Coming into 2023, many expected Judge to reach, or surpass the 2023 showing. However, after tearing a foot ligament in June after completing a catch against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Judge played only 106 games, hitting ..267/.406/.613 with 37 home runs and 75 RBIs.
"Aaron Judge destroys the Dodgers bullpen fence door with an amazing catch." - Baseball GIFs
For the Yankees, Judge's absence had some sordid effects. Exacerbated by career-worst cold snaps from stars like Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees hit just .228 in 2023, 29th in MLB and just ahead of the Oakland Athletics, the worst team in MLB last year.
In addition to Aaron Judge returning healthy, Yankees GM Brian Cashman has also moved to bring in former Silver Slugger Juan Soto as well as Alex Verdugo from the Boston Red Sox. Bound to have plenty of offensive support this year, fans can only hope that Judge is back in his regular form.
Aaron Judge is embracing spring training with a spark
Though Aaron Judge has only played in a pair of games so far this spring, it appears as though the NY Yankees captain is focusing on developing off of the field as well.
In addition to his camerawork, Aaron Judge is reportedly working closely with new coaching analyst Aaron Leanhardt, who the 2022 AL MVP described as "the smartest guy here."
As captain, Judge's contributions are expected to be realized on the field. However, in these early days of spring training, Judge is also showing that his impact off of the field counts as well.