“It sucks…it makes me mad"- Yankees' Juan Soto reflects on Blue Jays intentionally walking Aaron Judge thrice
The Toronto Blue Jays don't like to face Aaron Judge at the plate and Juan Soto isn't happy about it. The Blue Jays intentionally walked the New York Yankees captain three times in Sunday's game after he hit a single in the third.
This was the story throughout the series, with the former MVP being walked six times, four of them intentionally. When he didn't get walked, Judge punished the Blue Jays, going 5-9 with two home runs in the recently concluded three-game series.
Soto was frustrated with the fact that the Blue Jays were unwilling to face Judge straight up and rather were passing him over.
"It sucks and it's just because you want him on the plate. I'm doing my best to put him up and you see him, see them pass him over It's just that it really makes me mad. You know, it's just I don't like that," Soto said in the post-game interview.
"I want them to challenge him and see what really what can really he can really do. But it is what it is, which is part of the game. They try to win, too."
The Yankees clinched the series 2-1 after winning Sunday's game 4-3 in 10 innings thanks to a walk-off DJ LeMahieu single. Juan Soto went 2-3, including a home run in the 7th inning.
Blue Jays manager intentionally walked Aaron Judge with no runners on base
Blue Jays manager John Schneider surprised many when he intentionally walked Aaron Judge with two outs and no runners on base in the second inning of Saturday's game. It was the first time a hitter was walked in such a situation since 1972.
"I honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing,” Schneider said after the game per MLB.com. “We talk about being really careful with him, and that’s what can lead to mistakes when you’re trying to be really fine. He’s in a different category than anyone else in the league. He can flip the script of a game with one swing.”
His strategy worked, with the team coming out of that inning unscathed.
According to Statmuse, Aaron Judge comes third in terms of most intentional walks since 2022. His 39 intentional walks trail Jose Ramirez (50) and Shohei Ohtani (42). In the 2024 season, Judge leads the majors with 11 intentional walks followed by Texas Rangers' shortstop Corey Seager who has 10.