Watch: New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge crushes home run, first player to hit 20 homers this season
The term "slugger" seems to be an understatement for New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge. The hulking outfielder has been the best player on the best team in baseball, all while doing it under an immensely bright spotlight. However, as the pressure increased and the focus of the spotlight intensified, Judge rose to the occasion and continued to lead the New York Yankees to the best record in baseball.
You knew Aaron Judge would homer on his bobblehead night.
The first one in MLB to 20 dingers!
(via @Yankees)
https://t.co/LdFXddEqIU
"You knew Aaron Judge would homer on his bobblehead night. The first one in MLB to 20 dingers!" - Yankees Videos Twitter
On Friday night, against the Detroit Tigers, Judge continued to distinguish himself from the rest of Major League Baseball.
In a Friday night matchup against the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge mashed his 20th home run of the season
This has been quite the season for Aaron Judge. A first-round pick in the 2013 Major Legaue Baseball Amateur Player Draft out of Linden, California. From the minute he arrived in Major League Baseball, Judge demonstrated an ability to hit with prolific power. He shattered Mark McGuire's rookie home run record at the age of 24. He is entering his final season of his rookie contract. The three-time American League All-Star is on pace to reach 200 home runs this year. He has a 162-game average of 46 home runs per year and a career slugging percentage of .563. After the 2021 season concluded, it was a growing certainty that Judge would sign an extension and attempt to establish himself among the legends of the New York Yankees franchise. However, things didn't go according to plan.
Aaron Judge is on pace to hit 62 home runs, which would be the most in Yankees single-season history https://t.co/qJua429yug
"Aaron Judge is on pace to hit 62 home runs, which would be the most in Yankees single-season history" - Talkin Yankees
As his agent approached him with the New York Yankees final offer before Game 1 of the 2022 season, Judge had three options. He could sign the lucrative extension that would make him the highest-paid New York Yankees player of all time ($213.5 million over seven years). Or he could extend the negotiating window to continue during the Major League Baseball 2022 season, or he could reject the offer and take his chances heading into what many would deem the most important season of the young outfielder's career. Judge opted for option C and chose to bet on himself. So far, so good, as Judge is obliterating the baseball and playing elite defense, as his .659 slugging percentage may set him up for the $300 million contract he's hoping for.