"Judge could be the first $50M/year player" - New York Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez makes bold Aaron Judge prediction
Before the 2022 season got underway, Aaron Judge took a huge gamble.
With free agency looming next year, the New York Yankees superstar was offered a seven-year extension in the region of $213.5 million. Judge, however, turned down a deal that would have seen him net around $30 million/year,
It’s a gamble that now looks to have paid off very well. Yankees legend Alex Rodriguez believes that Judge’s MVP-calbre season could now help him net the MLB’s first $50 million/year contract.
Doing this all in a contract year too. Like I said Opening Day, Judge could be the first $50M/year player.
The past 6 months will cost the #Yankees an extra $150m. What a performance. #Judge
"Doing this all in a contract year too. Like I said Opening Day, Judge could be the first $50M/year player. The past 6 months will cost the #Yankees an extra $150m. What a performance. #Judge" - Alex Rodriguez
Aaron Judge is currently enjoying the best season of his career, which puts him in pole position for this year’s American League MVP award. In 113 games this season, he has slashed .301/.407/.683 with a league-leading 55 home runs and 118 RBIs.
The Yankees have been overly dependant on Aaron Judge
The Yankees have been a trainwreck since the All-Star break, but Aaron Judge has continued to excel. The Yankees have notched 213 homers in total this season, and Judge’s 55 accounts for over a quarter of their entire production.
The Yankees squared off against the Minnesota Twins as part of a double-header on Wednesday.
During Game 1, Judge cleared the left-field fence with a 374-foot blast off of Twins rookie Louie Varland in the fourth. It registered his 55th homer.
ALL RISE FOR HR NO. 55! 💥
AARON JUDGE IS A CHEAT CODE
(via @Yankees)
https://t.co/QUnRMbmcpT
The Yankees then went on to sweep the double-header with an emphatic 7-1 win in Game 2. Speaking after the game, Judge said:
“I was happy to get a run on the board. That's all I can really say. The rookie was making his debut and kind of had us shut down there for a little bit. He had a good quick pace, working all of his pitches. It kind of got some stuff going, got this offense going a little bit."
Judge’s 55th home run also marked the second time in Judge’s career that he has gone deep in four straight games. He homered in five straight games between July 29th, and August 2nd, 2020.
Judge is only the third major league player to hit 55 homers through his team’s first 136 games of the season. The two other players to do the same were Sammy Sosa (58 in 1999) and Barry Bonds (57 in 2001).
Aaron Judge is now on pace to end the season with 65 home runs. The current American League record for most homers in a single season (61) currently belongs to Yankees legend Roger Maris.