Aaron Judge Poised for Batting Title
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge is nearly guaranteed to secure his first American League batting title. At 6-foot-7, he would become the tallest player to ever achieve this feat. As of Saturday, Judge boasts a batting average of .330, which puts him 17 points ahead of second-place Jacob Wilson (.313) from the Athletics. This gap is similar to the distance between Wilson and the seventh-place player, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from the Toronto Blue Jays, with only two games left in the regular season.
Tallest Player in History
No player standing 6-6 has ever won a batting title, though five players at 6-5 have succeeded: Dave Parker (1977, 1978), John Olerud (1993), Frank Thomas (1997), Derrek Lee (2005), and Joe Mauer (2006, 2008, 2009).
Managing a Large Strike Zone
Judge’s considerable height has resulted in one of the largest strike zones in history, second only to Tony Clark and Nate Freiman, both 6-8 first basemen. Giancarlo Stanton, a fellow Yankees player standing at 6-6, remarked, “You have so much more area to cover. You have a lot bigger of an area to attack.” Despite this challenge, Judge has adapted into one of baseball’s most astute and prepared hitters, continuously improving according to teammates and coaches.
Experience and Improvement
The 33-year-old, who made his major league debut at 24 in 2016, credits his growth to experience: “Just from seeing more pitchers over the years, becoming a better hitter.” Joe Mauer, who faced Judge in his early days, noted that Judge was notably advanced in understanding the strike zone and leveraging his strengths.
Striking Balance
Judge has been a top contender for several seasons, finishing second in the batting title race in 2022 with a .311 average and hitting .322 to secure third place last year. This season, he ranks second in home runs in the AL with 52, trailing only Cal Raleigh from the Seattle Mariners (60). Judge leads the MLB in on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.687), and OPS (1.145).
Unique Approach
Judge’s approach is distinctive. While he has a high swing-and-miss rate (34.8% this season), he maintains a low chase rate (22.6%). Notably, he has received the highest number of low strikes that should have been called balls since his first full season in 2017, with 2.8% of low, out-of-zone pitches called strikes against him. Manager Aaron Boone explained that players who effectively control the strike zone are often more susceptible to bad calls.
Continuous Drive for Improvement
Having been drafted by the Yankees in the 2013, Judge has shown remarkable growth, thanks in part to extensive study of opposing pitchers. His desire for self-improvement is notable to Stanton, who stated, “He’s just never satisfied.” Winning a batting title would be a significant achievement for Judge, especially considering the context of his height. Gerrit Cole summed it up by saying, “It’s very impressive.”
