Many predicted Aaron Judge would win it all in last night’s (July 10th) MLB Home Run Derby, but we don’t think anybody knew just how dominant he would be. The New York Yankees outfield already had much work to put in, after his first round matchup Justin Bour of the Miami Marlins knocked 22 home runs out of the park. Yet the 2013 first round draft pick out of Fresno State stepped up and hit 23, including one off the roof of Marlins Park that didn’t count due to ground rules, with time to spare.
Next up he had to take on Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who put up 12 home runs. Once again, Judge stepped up and eliminated the competition. This round was special because he notched home runs of 503 feet, 507 feet, and 513 feet. The young slugger ended the entire competition with 4 of the 5 deepest home runs. Defending Champion Giancarlo Stanton, who suffered a disappointing first round loss to New York Yankee’s catcher Gary Sanchez.
In the finals Aaron Judge had to take on Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano who was also hitting bombs on the other side of the bracket. Sano posted 10 home runs, and Judge edged him out with 11 to take the victory on the day.
It was a strong showing by the rookie who appeared to simply be having a lot of fun. He showed his versatility as a batter, hitting deep home runs opposite field and using his sheer superhuman power to knock balls out that he clearly didn’t square up. The Yankees have a gem in this young guy, who may win many more derbies in the coming years. You can check out some of his deepest home runs below.
https://youtu.be/F8wjBTbe0R8
