The Yankees have to get creative with their outfield situation due to injuries and prolonged slumps, and the latest act of creativity includes Aaron Judge in center field.
The 6-foot-7 slugger will be out in center when the Yanks take the field against the Rays on Wednesday night, marking just the second time in his major league career that he will play the position.
“Probably in the last week, he and I have had some conversations about it,” Aaron Boone said before Wednesday’s game. “He very much wants to do it and is game to do it. Last night before he left…I had home pop his head in my offices and we just kind of ‘hey, you ready for this?’ and he said ‘Let’s do it.’ Obviously we’re in some unique circumstances right now where it’s needed, and Aaron is excited to step up to the challenge.”
Judge’s only other appearance in center came in the Yankees’ opening series of the 2018 season, manning the position in Toronto in late March in an error-free performance, which was needed after both Jacoby Ellsbury and Aaron Hicks landed on the IL. Judge described it as having “the best view in the house.”
Judge was drafted by the Yanks as a center fielder but moved over to right, where he has become one of the best defensive fielders in the league, which leaves Boone with little doubt that Judge will be able to handle it on Wednesday.
“He’s a great outfielder,” Boone said. “He’s a good athlete, he’s incredibly fundamentally sound as a defender. To be an everyday center fielder in the big leagues takes a more unique skillset, but I think any outfielder would probably tell you that going from a corner to going to center is probably a little easier than the opposite.”
Gerrit Cole, who watched Judge in center field up close when they played against each other in college, shares Boone’s confidence that the defensively sound Judge will have no problem holding his own.
“I looked at the lineup, but I didn’t see the positioning, so this is the first I’ve heard of it,” Cole said. “I’m probably just as excited as you to see how it transpires. He’s obviously about as talented as it comes on the baseball field, so there’s no job or no task that’s too big for Aaron. I assume he’ll come through this with the Superman cape he tends to wear when he plays.”
Boone didn’t express concern about Judge’s injury history, and if more running in center could lead to issues, and even said it was “definitely” an option he could see himself using moving forward “from time to time.”
“We’ll see how our situation evolves, we’ll see how it goes, we’ll see what our roster looks like moving forward,” Boone said. “He’s in there tonight and we’ll see how it looks moving forward.”
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
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