Aaron Judge belted another home run on Wednesday, taking sole possession of the Yankees franchise record for most home runs by a right-handed hitter in a single season.
He was also intentionally walked three times, as the Twins, and perhaps other teams down the stretch, will begin to award Judge first base and take their chances with the rest of the depleted New York lineup.
Does Judge believe the Yanks will be able to win and hold off the Rays if he isn’t given the chance to clear the bases and put runs on the board himself?
“I think so,” Judge said. “We won these two today and I got intentionally walked a few times. Doesn’t matter if our big guys are here or not. We're the New York Yankees. We’ve got the pinstripes on and wearing the NY, and every single guy that walks in this clubhouse is gonna do their job.”
Judge used to have a 30-homer hitter in Anthony Rizzo protecting him, but the first baseman is now on the IL with headaches after an epidural to address back issues. Giancarlo Stanton, the other heavy bat that is supposed to provide protection, is battling another injury after fouling a ball off of his foot on Monday.
So, expect more free passes for Judge, who is six home runs away from tying Roger Maris’ Yankees, and American League, record.
“I’m never too concerned with if we’re missing guys or not,” Judge said. “I’d love to have Rizzo, DJ in there, big G, but the guys that are stepping up are doing their job.”
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