The most impactful walk for the Yankees recently wasn’t Gleyber Torres’s mistaken assumption of a home run, leading to a single and his subsequent benching by Aaron Boone. Instead, it’s the intentional walks Aaron Judge is amassing that could be more consequential, especially if Austin Wells, Giancarlo Stanton, and others don’t capitalize on the opportunities.
Aaron Judge intentionally walked…with no one on and 2 outs. 😲
That’s respect. pic.twitter.com/a3ZIYMZ2Us
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 3, 2024
“You’re going to see it more and more,” Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker predicted, referring to the strategy of intentionally walking Judge. Walker made this statement before Sunday’s game, where he and manager John Schneider decided to walk Judge three times intentionally, twice in unconventional situations.
Walker emphasized the need to avoid giving Judge the chance to swing. “You might see that where you walk him and put yourself in a spot where a single beats you, but you just are not going to let him swing that bat. You are just going to take your chances with the next guy. I wouldn’t be surprised if you saw that a lot. It might happen more than once.” True to his word, Judge became the first Yankee since Bernie Williams in 1999 to be intentionally walked three times in a game, joining Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez as the only players to achieve this in the past three seasons.
Despite failing to score in the innings when Judge was walked, the Yankees still managed a 4-3 victory over Toronto thanks to a walk-off single by DJ LeMahieu. Toronto’s approach showcased a strategy that the Yankees are likely to face more frequently as the season progresses: minimizing Judge’s impact by limiting his at-bats.
Judge, hitting home runs at a remarkable rate since May, has drawn comparisons to Barry Bonds in the early 2000s. His first-inning home runs on consecutive days prompted Schneider to adopt the intentional walk strategy. Judge tied a Yankees record with 16 first-inning home runs in 2024, matching Babe Ruth’s record, and has 41 home runs overall, leading the league by eight.
Aaron Judge got intentionally walked again 😳
(via @TalkinYanks) pic.twitter.com/f3TQxGrtLt
— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) August 4, 2024
On Saturday, Judge was intentionally walked with two outs and no one on base, a rare move not seen since 1972. The unusual strategy was used to face Austin Wells, who has been hitting well but not at the same level as Judge, who Boone described as being treated “beyond the Bonds treatment,” now referred to as the “Judge treatment.”
Judge’s overall performance in 2024 has surpassed his 2022 season when he set a Yankees record with 62 home runs without being intentionally walked three times in a game. Walker, reflecting on the decision to walk Judge, noted, “He’s in a different place right now… I know we haven’t done that since I’ve been coaching to anybody, and that’s 12 years as a pitching coach. And I know [manager John Schneider] was pretty adamant about it. I can’t think of anyone else we’d even consider doing it for.”
On Sunday, Judge struck out with runners on first and second in the first inning but singled in the third. He was intentionally walked three more times, including once with a runner on first and one out, and later with runners on second and third in a tie game. Judge now has 11 intentional walks this season, with four in the past two games. His ability to reach base contrasts sharply with the rest of the Yankees, who have struggled to perform with runners in scoring position.
Aaron Judge is the first Yankee to be walked intentionally three times in one game in almost 25 years pic.twitter.com/2nzJ8Sivpr
— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) August 4, 2024
Walker summed it up, saying, “Every team, every pitching coach, every strategy meeting, you pick the guy who you’re not going to let beat you. Yet, he beats you… He will take the base hit to right field and if you make a mistake inside he will hit it 470 feet. He’s a complete hitter.”
Major Points:
- Aaron Judge has been intentionally walked multiple times in recent games, highlighting a strategy by opposing teams to avoid giving him opportunities to hit.
- Blue Jays pitching coach Pete Walker and manager John Schneider intentionally walked Judge three times in a single game, a move not seen for a Yankee since 1999.
- Despite failing to score in innings when Judge was intentionally walked, the Yankees won a game against Toronto with a walk-off single by DJ LeMahieu.
- Judge has been hitting home runs at a record pace, drawing comparisons to Barry Bonds, with 41 home runs this season and an impressive performance with runners in scoring positions.
- The Yankees’ ability to capitalize on Judge’s walks is crucial, as their overall performance with runners in scoring positions has been lacking, making it essential for other players to step up.
TL Holcomb – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
