Cody Bellinger

Aaron Judge‘s Historic Home Run ‍propels Yankees Past Blue Jays

TORONTO ⁢- Aaron⁤ Judge delivered a clutch performance Wednesday, launching a​ towering home run⁢ off⁢ a 99.7⁤ mph​ fastball to ​lift the New York yankees⁣ over the Toronto Blue Jays. The blast, the⁤ fastest pitch Judge has ever homered on, ⁤showcased ⁤a remarkable ‍display of power and plate ‌discipline, drawing comparisons ​to⁤ legendary hitters.

The home run, hit against Blue Jays pitcher⁣ Chris Varland, was especially notable for its location: 1.2 feet inside from the​ center of ⁢the strike zone. According to MLB Statcast data dating back ⁢to 2008, it ​was the first home run by​ any major ⁣league player on a pitch of that velocity and⁣ location. This game-changing hit underscores Judge’s ability to perform‌ in high-pressure situations and​ solidifies ⁢his reputation as a postseason threat, a ⁤critical factor as the⁣ Yankees ⁢navigate a competitive ‌playoff push.

Yankees manager Aaron ⁣Boone marveled at the swing, ⁣stating, “it’s an amazing swing. That’s shades of Edgar Martínez right there, taking that high-and-tight one and keeping it fair down the line.‍ Manny Ramirez used‍ to do⁣ that really well,too. But just⁤ a great swing on a pretty nasty pitch, obviously.”

Judge, who⁤ previously homered against Varland in​ the‌ pitcher’s major league debut in September 2022, downplayed the importance of the pitch’s location. “I⁤ don’t know. I get yelled at for swinging at them out of ‌the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,”​ he said. “I don’t care what⁢ the numbers say​ or where something was at, I’m just up there‍ trying to put a good swing on a good pitch, and it looked ‌good to me.” He added,⁤ “After he blew my doors off on the pitch​ before, I said‌ just get ready, see a good pitch, ‍and drive it.”

Beyond his ⁣offensive heroics,Judge also demonstrated his defensive prowess with a​ diving catch in right field with a ⁢runner on second base in the fifth inning,igniting “MVP” chants from the crowd. he ⁤later ‍scored on a sacrifice fly by Ben Rice in the sixth after being intentionally walked with‌ the bases empty, a⁤ clear indication⁣ of the respect ‍-‍ or fear – opposing teams have‌ for his hitting ‍ability.

blue Jays manager John Schneider acknowledged Judge’s impact. “He’s had a good postseason. He’s had a pretty good ‍career,” Schneider said. ⁣”There’s times where you just don’t want him to swing.”