"You know, what he does.... It's just incredible" — Aaron Judge lauds Shohei Ohtani for top performance despite undergoing Tommy John surgery
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has praised Shohei Ohtani for his performance this season after returning following his Tommy John surgery. For their performances in the first half of the season, Judge and Ohtani were voted to be on the MLB All-Star teams for the American League and National League, respectively.
During the 2024 All-Star Game on Tuesday. Judge appreciated Ohtani for his overall performance and persistence in the game even after getting back to the field following Tommy John surgery.
"Man it's incredible, you know, what he does, year in and year out. If you just consider what he has done this year, recovering from a Tommy John surgery and is hitting a batting average of .316 and almost 30 home runs so far. It's just incredible."
Moments after Judge praised Ohtani, the Japanese created history. He hit a 400-foot home run toward the right field, becoming the first LA Dodgers star to do so in an All-Star Game since Hall of Famer Mike Piazza in Midsummer Classic 1996.
The $700 million star has been incredible for his new side. Although he is still recovering from the Tommy John surgery and thus can't pitch, it seems he is compensating with his incredible hitting prowess. So far this season, he has a batting average of .316, with an OPS of 1.036, 29 home runs and 69 RBIs.
Shohei Ohtani feels "relieved" for hitting the 400-foot dinger, reflects on his performance in MLB ASG 2024
Japanese star Shohei Ohtani opened up on his performance in Tuesday's All-Star Game at Globe Life Field, Texas. Ohtani wasn't really happy with his performance in the game, but he was relieved to hit the home run and help out his side.
"In general, I haven't really hit well during the All-Star Game. So I'm just relieved that I put a good ball in play,” he said.
It wasn't his night — apart from that one homer in the third inning. In two at-bats, the two-way phenom scored just one run and one home run, three RBI, a batting average of .500 and an OPS of .667. In the end, the AL team emerged victorious 5-3 against the NL.