Yankees slugger Aaron Judge could lead off in 2018
TAMPA, Fla. -- For at least one day, the New York Yankees had a new leadoff hitter: Aaron Judge.
The right fielder batted first Friday against the Boston Red Sox in a batting position that's normally occupied by speedsters like the team's primary leadoff man, Brett Gardner. Judge set the pace for a lineup chock-full of power hitters, including Giancarlo Stanton (batting second), Greg Bird (third) and Gary Sanchez (fourth).
Judge finished 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in the Yankees' 5-0 loss.His lone base hit and a groundout came on a pair of hard swings where both balls were sharply hit.
"If I wanted to do something like that in the regular season, and if that's a real option, I at least wanted to introduce it," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Because obviously it's a story today. So I at least wanted to get that part of it out of the way, and then we'll kind of evaluate and see where we stand going into the season with something like that."
It marked the first time Judge has appeared at the top of the order in his professional career.
"I might have done it in a high school game once," the reigning American League home run champion, who hit 52 homers last season, said before the game.
While Judge's appearance at leadoff generated buzz around the baseball world, he entered this spring training game unfazed by the development.
"This morning I wake up and I'm hitting leadoff," Judge said. "It's just another day. No big deal."
General manager Brian Cashman was completely on board with the idea.
"The plus is you score more runs," Cashman said. "I remember back in the day, before all analytics and stuff, Gene Michael [the late former Yankees infielder and later manager and GM] used to tell me you want your best hitters to get the most at-bats. Period. That's the best lineup construction, and keep it in its most simple form."
Boone mentioned earlier this spring that he had thought about moving Judge up a spot in the order to hit leadoff, particularly against left-handed pitchers. With the left-handed-hitting Gardner usually at the top, the possibility of a right-handed bat like Judge's (or a switch hitter like Aaron Hicks') could provide better top-of-the-order balance against a left-handed starter.
The manager decided to try Judge out at leadoff "about halfway between Fort Myers and here" Thursday night. As the Yankees made their way back from a road game more than two hours away against the Minnesota Twins, Boone thought about how Friday would be a good time to tinker with his Judge-at-leadoff experiment. After all, the Yankees were facing a left-handed pitcher in Boston's Brian Johnson.
So as the bus traveled up Interstate 75, Boone called Judge to deliver the news.
Judge maintained that this is still something the Yankees could do during the regular season, but they wanted to try it before spring training ends next week.
The Yankees will face a lefty,J.A. Happ, on Opening Day in Toronto. They have announced that Gardner will start that game in left field but have not announced a lineup for it, and Boone didn't rule out the possibility of Judge leading off in the opener since the Yankees will face the left-handed pitcher.
Against the Red Sox on Friday, Gardner batted ninth, going 2-for-3.
"So once the game gets going, he's still hitting in front of me," Judge said, "so it's no different."
Houston Astros right fielder George Springer has been one recent example of a power-hitting leadoff man. Last season for the World Series champions, Springer hit 34 home runs, all of them while batting first. Of his 99 career homers, 61 have come from that spot.
As for Judge's approach at the plate Friday, the outfielder contended he would be walking up with the same mindset he always does.
"It doesn't change at all. It's still the same game," Judge said before the game.
Does he think he can give the Yankees a 1-0 lead with an early home run?
"Yeah, if the first pitch is there. I get a good swing," Judge said, smiling.
His first at-bat ended in a five-pitch strikeout.
