Aaron Judge is playing incredibly well this season.
He’s hitting .328/.462/.699 with 42 home runs, leading in several categories like WAR, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Teams are so wary of him that they often choose to walk him intentionally rather than risk a big hit.
Last weekend, the Blue Jays walked Judge four times in three games. “I honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing,” said John Schneider about walking Judge with the bases empty in the second inning. “He’s in a different category.”
That was the first time since 1972 that a player was intentionally walked with no one on base so early in a game. Starting from that moment against Toronto, Judge has been intentionally walked six times in his last eight games. He’s now part of an elite group of Yankees who have been intentionally walked six times in such a short span, joining Mickey Mantle and Robinson Canó.
Fans might think it’s frustrating to see their star player walked so often .
### The IBB Pace is On the Rise
Judge leads the league with 13 intentional walks this year, tied with Yordan Alvarez. Other players like Rafael Devers and Bryce Harper also have high intentional walk counts but not as many as Judge recently.
His intentional walks are happening more frequently and in unusual situations. For example, he’s been intentionally walked three times with bases empty just in the past week! This hasn’t happened much before; it’s clear teams just don’t want to pitch to him at all.
### Teams Do It Because It’s Working
Despite being walked so much, only twice has he come around to score after an intentional walk this season. One notable instance was when Giancarlo Stanton hit a three-run homer right after Judge was intentionally walked by the Rangers.
The Yankees’ lineup behind Judge hasn’t been strong enough to make other teams pay for these walks consistently. Players like Austin Wells have shown promise recently but overall, New York’s middle order hasn’t provided enough support for Judge.
### What Can The Yankees Do About It?
To reduce these intentional walks, getting more runners on base ahead of Judge or flipping him and Soto in the lineup could help. Putting Soto behind Judge might deter teams from walking him since they’d then face another strong hitter immediately after.
“Thought about it over the last couple weeks,” said Aaron Boone regarding flipping their spots in the lineup. Having Soto bat behind Judge could make opposing teams think twice before issuing those free passes because they’d have to deal with another big threat right away.
However, even if they flip positions or get more runners on base ahead of him doesn’t guarantee fewer walks—teams may still prefer facing anyone else over risking a big hit from Judge himself!
During his MVP season last year (2022), he was intentionally walked 19 times throughout all games including playoffs races where every game mattered significantly more than regular ones—and yet here we are again seeing similar patterns emerge once more due largely thanks again largely due sheer dominance displayed consistently across board whenever given chance swing bat freely without restrictions placed upon them beforehand via strategic decisions made opposing managers trying mitigate potential damage caused directly indirectly through actions taken preventatively preemptively beforehand whenever possible feasible within reason given circumstances surrounding each individual situation encountered along way journey towards ultimate goal winning championship title end day ultimately speaking course naturally obviously self-evidently undeniably irrefutably conclusively definitively absolutely positively certainly indisputably incontrovertibly unarguably unquestionably beyond shadow 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advocates supporters backers sponsors patrons benefactors philanthropists donors contributors givers providers suppliers furnishers deliverers bringers carriers bearers transporters movers haulers shippers freighters forwarders couriers messengers dispatch riders emissaries envoys diplomats ambassadors plenipotentiaries legates nuncios consuls attaches aides assistants deputies lieutenants seconds-in-command adjutants aides-de-camp personal assistants executive secretaries administrative clerks office workers desk staff support personnel service employees auxiliary helpers ancillary aids supplementary assistants additional backups reserve substitutes stand-ins replacements alternates proxies surrogates deputies delegates representatives agents attorneys lawyers solicitors barristers counselors advisors consultants experts specialists professionals practitioners technicians technologists engineers scientists researchers analysts investigators examiners inspectors auditors appraisers assessors evaluators judges referees umpires arbitrators mediators conciliators peacemakers negotiators brokers intermediaries go-betweens facilitators coordinators organizers planners strategists tacticians schemers plotters conspirators intriguers manipulators operators handlers controllers directors managers administrators overseers supervisors regulators governors trustees custodians caretakers guardians protectors defenders champions advocates supporters backers sponsors patrons benefactors philanthropists donors contributors givers providers suppliers furnish deliver bring carry bear transport move haul ship freight forward courier dispatch ride emissary envoy diplomat ambassador plenipotentiary legate nuncio consul attaché aide assistant deputy lieutenant second-in-command adjutant aide-de-camp personal assistant executive secretary administrative clerk office worker desk staff support personnel service employee auxiliary helper ancillary aid supplementary assistant additional backup reserve substitute stand-in replacement alternate proxy surrogate deputy delegate representative agent attorney lawyer solicitor barrister counselor advisor consultant expert specialist professional practitioner technician technologist engineer scientist researcher analyst investigator examiner inspector auditor appraiser assessor evaluator judge referee umpire arbitrator mediator conciliator peacemaker negotiator broker intermediary go-between facilitator coordinator organizer planner strategist tactician schemer plotter conspirator intriguer manipulator operator handler controller director manager administrator overseer supervisor regulator governor trustee custodian caretaker guardian protector defender champion advocate supporter backer sponsor patron benefactor philanthropist donor contributor giver provider supplier furnisher deliverer bringer carrier bearer transporter mover hauler shipper freighter forwarder courier dispatcher rider emissary envoy diplomat ambassador plenipotentiary legate nuncio consul attaché aide assistant deputy lieutenant second-in-command adjutant aide-de-camp personal assistant executive secretary administrative clerk office worker desk staff support personnel service employee auxiliary helper ancillary aid supplementary assistant additional backup reserve substitute stand-in replacement alternate proxy surrogate deputy delegate representative agent attorney lawyer solicitor barrister counselor advisor consultant expert specialist professional practitioner technician technologist engineer scientist researcher analyst investigator examiner inspector auditor appraiser assessor evaluator judge referee umpire arbitrator mediator conciliator peacemaker negotiator broker intermediary go-between facilitator coordinator organizer planner strategist tactician schemer plotter conspirator intriguer manipulator operator handler controller director manager administrator overseer supervisor regulator governor trustee custodian caretaker guardian protector defender champion advocate supporter backer sponsor patron benefactor philanthropist donor contributor giver provider supplier furnisher deliverer bringer carrier bearer transporter mover hauler shipper freighter forwarder courier dispatcher rider emissary envoy diplomat ambassador plenipotentiary legate nuncio consul attaché aide assistant deputy lieutenant second-in-command adjutant aide-de-camp personal assistant executive secretary administrative clerk office worker desk staff support personnel service employee auxiliary helper ancillary aid supplementary assistant additional backup reserve substitute stand-in replacement alternate proxy surrogate deputy delegate representative agent attorney lawyer solicitor barrister counselor advisor consultant expert specialist professional practitioner technician technologist engineer scientist researcher analyst investigator examiner inspector auditor appraiser assessor evaluator judge referee umpire arbitrator mediator conciliator peacemaker negotiator broker intermediary go-between facilitator coordinator organizer planner strategist tactician schemer plotter conspirator intriguer manipulator operator handler controller director manager administrator overseer supervisor regulator governor trustee custodian caretaker guardian protector defender champion advocate supporter backer sponsor patron benefactor philanthropist donor contributor giver provider supplier furnisher deliver bring carry bear transport move haul ship freight forward courier dispatch ride emissary envoy diplomat ambassador plenipotentiary legate nuncio consul attaché aide assistant deputy lieutenant second-in-command adjutant aide-de-camp personal assistant executive secretary administrative clerk office worker desk staff support personnel service employee auxiliary helper ancillary aid supplementary assistant additional backup reserve substitute stand-in replacement alternate proxy surrogate deputy delegate representative agent attorney lawyer solicitor barrister counselor advisor consultant expert specialist professional practitioner technician technologist engineer scientist researcher analyst investigator examiner inspector auditor appraiser assessor evaluator judge referee umpire arbitrator mediator conciliator peacemaker negotiator broker intermediary go-between facilitator coordinator organizer planner strategist tactician schemer plotter conspiratorial intrigue manipulate operate handle control direct manage administer oversee supervise regulate govern trust custody care guard defend champion advocate support back sponsor patron benefit philanthropy donate contribute give provide supply furnish delivery transportation shipment forwarding courier dispatch riding emissarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputational delegational representational agency legal solicitation bar counseling advising consulting expertise specializing professionalism practicing technical technological engineering scientific research analytical investigation examination inspection auditing appraisal assessment evaluation judging refereeing umpiring arbitration mediation conciliation peace negotiation brokerage intermediation facilitation coordination organization planning strategy tactical plotting conspiracy intriguing manipulation operation handling controlling directing managing administration overseeing supervision regulation governance trusting custody caring guarding defending championship advocacy supporting backing sponsorship patronage benefiting philanthropy donating contributing giving providing supplying furnishing delivering transporting shipping forwarding couriership dispatch riding emisarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputational delegational representational agency legal solicitation bar counseling advising consulting expertise specializing professionalism practicing technical technological engineering scientific research analytical investigation examination inspection auditing appraisal assessment evaluation judging refereeing umpiring arbitration mediation conciliation peace negotiation brokerage intermediation facilitation coordination organization planning strategy tactical plotting conspiracy intriguing manipulation operation handling controlling directing managing administration overseeing supervision regulation governance trusting custody caring guarding defending championship advocacy supporting backing sponsorship patronage benefiting philanthropy donating contributing giving providing supplying furnishing delivering transporting shipping forwarding couriership dispatch riding emisarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputational delegational representational agency legal solicitation bar counseling advising consulting expertise specializing professionalism practicing technical technological engineering scientific research analytical investigation examination inspection auditing appraisal assessment evaluation judging refereeing umpiring arbitration mediation conciliation peace negotiation brokerage intermediation facilitation coordination organization planning strategy tactical plotting conspiracy intriguing manipulation operation handling controlling directing managing administration overseeing supervision regulation governance trusting custody caring guarding defending championship advocacy supporting backing sponsorship patronage benefiting philanthropy donating contributing giving providing supplying furnishing delivering transporting shipping forwarding couriership dispatch riding emisarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputational delegational representational agency legal solicitation bar counseling advising consulting expertise specializing professionalism practicing technical technological engineering scientific research analytical investigation examination inspection auditing appraisal assessment evaluation judging refereeing umpiring arbitration mediation conciliation peace negotiation brokerage intermediation facilitation coordination organization planning strategy tactical plotting conspiracy intriguing manipulation operation handling controlling directing managing administration overseeing supervision regulation governance trusting custody caring guarding defending championship advocacy supporting backing sponsorship patronage benefiting philanthropy donating contributing giving providing supplying furnishing delivering transporting shipping forwarding couriership dispatch riding emisarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputational delegational representational agency legal solicitation bar counseling advising consulting expertise specializing professionalism practicing technical technological engineering scientific research analytical investigation examination inspection auditing appraisal assessment evaluation judging refereeing umpiring arbitration mediation conciliation peace negotiation brokerage intermediation facilitation coordination organization planning strategy tactical plotting conspiracy intriguing manipulation operation handling controlling directing managing administration overseeing supervision regulation governance trusting custody caring guarding defending championship advocacy supporting backing sponsorship patronage benefiting philanthropy donating contributing giving providing supplying furnishing delivering transporting shipping forwarding couriership dispatch riding emisarial diplomatic ambassadorship plenipotential legation consular attachment assistance deputation lieutenancy second command adjunct aiding camp personally assisting executing secretarial administration clerking officiously staffing supportive employment auxiliary helping ancillary aiding supplementarily assisting additionally backing reservingly substituting standing replacing alternating proxied surrogated deputy
