MLB insider believes teams should treat Aaron Judge like Barry Bonds at the plate
Aaron Judge is widely considered the best hitter in baseball. The New York Yankees superstar is not only tearing the cover off the ball this season, but he is also helping keep his team afloat amid a spate of injuries and underperforming stars.
The two-time American League MVP has emerged as the clear frontrunner to win the award yet again. Through 43 games, Judge leads the league in several categories, including a .412 batting average, 15 home runs, 41 RBIs, and a 1.279 OPS.
On "MLB Central," insider Mark DeRosa compared him to Barry Bonds. The former infielder believes that opposing pitchers need to approach Judge in the same fashion as teams used to do with the San Francisco Giants legend.
"Baseball awareness would tell you, no chance of doing that in that situation. You're not putting the winning run on, it was 2-2 at the time. Bellinger's struggling a little bit behind him, Volpe's struggling a little bit behind him and I think LeMahieu was sitting right behind him... You have to treat him like Barry Bonds," DeRosa explained.
During his legendary career with the Pittsburgh Pirates and San Francisco Giants, Barry Bonds was intentionally walked a whopping 688 times. Albert Pujols is second on the list at 316.
Barry Bonds was such an imposing figure at the plate that teams often walked in a run as opposed to allowing him to hit with the bases loaded. This could be the case for Judge if he continues to mash at the plate, according to DeRosa.
"I know you're not going to put four fingers up every time but there are certain moments where a guy just tells you that he's better than the game. Right now, Aaron Judge has reached that pinnacle," DeRosa continued.
Aaron Judge is on pace to threaten his own single-season home run record
There is no denying that Judge is one of the best pure home run hitters in baseball. He set a single-season home run record in the American League in 2022, hitting 62 bombs for the Yankees. The previous record, set by Roger Maris, held for decades, but Judge's current mark is under threat, by Judge himself.
According to Fangraphs, he is projected to finish the season with 57 home runs, however, a single hot streak could help the New York Yankees captain break the record once more. While he may never surpass Barry Bonds' 73 home run season, he could certainly break the 60-homer threshold once again.