New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge underwent a significant adjustment to his batting technique after a disappointing start to the season which saw him hitting only .207 by April end. On May 5, he altered his open batting stance to a slightly closed one as he faced Detroit Tigers ace, Tarik Skubal, straightening his stance too. The change reaped an immediate reward with Judge hitting a 97-mph fastball for a solo homer.
Following this adjustment, Judge reaffirmed his reputation as one of the game’s best hitters. At the time of a road game with Chicago White Sox, he was leading in two out of three Triple Crown categories – having posted 42 home runs and 106 RBIs, the best in the American League. His .328 batting average fell slightly short to Bobby Witt’s .347 from the Kansas City Royals. Judge also topped the wRC+ metric with 217 which measures a player’s overall value.
Judge explained the benefits of his altered approach. Primarily, it eased his comfort and proved more effective against sliders and away pitches alike. Contrasted with his batting average of .154 against sliders before May 5, he has scored .348 against them since, achieving a slugging score of .812. Apart from facilitating more consistent foot landing, he said, it improved his success with the ball due to the more straightforward starting position.
This adjustment was not one-off, as Judge also experimented with varying his stance’s squareness and his height against the pitcher. Teammate Anthony Rizzo noted the significant role of a batter’s legs in their performance, emphasizing the importance of regular observation and rectification of flaws in individual batting styles. Coach Aaron Boone remarked that the tweak simplified things for Judge, leading him to make effective decisions about his swings.
James Rowson, the hitting coach, stated that it isn’t unusual for top players to make changes to their techniques for aiding comfort during batting. Judge, too, had to make adjustments to his game to regain “that feeling”, despite excelling in it. The modified stance, however, subjected Judge to being deliberately pitched around or being purposely walked, instead of allowing him to score. Judge led the game with the most intentional walks – at 13– tied with Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez.
Despite such maneuvers against him, Judge felt optimistic about his decision to change his batting technique, though he anticipates more adjustments in the future. Agreeing with a reporter’s comment that the move seemed to be working for him, he replied, “So far.”
