A Steady Approach at the Plate Has Allowed the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge to Avoid the Sophomore Slump
In 2017, the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hit 52 home runs, posted a slugging percentage over .600, won the American League Rookie of the Year award in a landslide and finished second in the MVP race.
As far as rookie seasons go, it doesn't really get much better than what Judge did last year.
That's why there were Yankee fans who were wary of getting too hyped for Judge's prospects for this year.
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After all, the dreaded sophomore slump has affected many promising players in the past, so it wasn't outlandish to think that Judge could suffer from that as well.
Thus far this season, however, Judge has shown no signs of suffering from the sophomore slump, and he's showing yet again that he truly is a special ballplayer.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone even commented recently on what makes Judge such a special player with the bat in his hands.
Speaking recently to NJ.com, Boone said that Judge's ability to "control the zone" is one of the things that makes him stand out from many of the other hitters in the Majors.
The numbers back up Boone's assessment.
Per Fangraphs, Judge is again among the league leaders in walk percentage a year after he was tops in the American League in terms of walks drawn.
That ability to remain patient and focused at the plate has made it possible for Judge to contribute offense to the team even on those days when his swing gets a bit long. His willingness to take pitches and work counts also helps his teammates as they can learn more about a pitcher's repertoire over the course of watching his at-bats.
The way Judge handles his at-bats is also reminiscent of the manner in which he's handled his meteoric rise to stardom, as even with all the new attention coming his way, he has remained focused.
Of course, being patient at the plate is not the only secret to Judge's success.
It also helps that when he does he decide to swing, he has a tendency to make really good contact with the baseball.
Judge is also among the league leaders when it comes to making hard contact with the baseball, and that's obviously a good thing because a well-struck ball typically ends up as either a hit somewhere on the field or it may become a home run that soars over the wall.
If Judge sticks to his current approach at the plate, he's going to remain as one of the biggest offensive threats in the league.
It will be hard for Judge to replicate his 52-home run season from last year because so many things have to happen for such a campaign to take place, but the thing is, he still has the approach and the talent needed to post that kind of year once again.
Not even halfway through his second season and Judge is already showing that he has staying power as a superstar. With more seasons under his belt, Judge could get mentioned as an all-time Yankee great and maybe even as a potential Hall of Famer.
