Yankees’ $360 Million Slugger Changes Spring Plans to Fix Early-Season Struggles
Aaron Judge has a plan. Last season, the New York Yankees slugger won the American League MVP despite a slow start in April. Judge told the YES Network’s Meredith Marakovits that he plans to play in more spring training games to avoid another early-season slump. “I am looking for 40 to 50 at-bats,” Judge said after his Grapefruit League debut. “I had about 30 last spring, and I don’t think it was enough. Especially after how it started last April, so I am going to try and get in the box more.” Judge struggled in April 2024, hitting just .217 with three home runs. His timing appeared off at the plate until May, when he erupted for 14 home runs while hitting .361. He finished the season with 58 home runs and a .322/.458/.702 slash line. With concerns about the Yankees’ lineup heading into the 2025 season, Judge knows he cannot afford an extended slump. The Yankees’ offense lost Juan Soto and his 41 home runs when he signed with the New York Mets in free agency. Now, the team is also preparing to be without Giancarlo Stanton, whose sore elbows have kept him from hitting this spring. The Yankees announced he would begin the season on the injured list.
Still, Judge knows this team and offense is his responsibility. Most veterans aim for 35 to 40 at-bats in spring training, so it is unusual to hear an accomplished hitter like Judge ask for more..His chase rate was up, and his hard-contact rate was down, suggesting that seeing more pitches now will help him get off to a stronger start to 2025. Historically, when Judge starts hot, the Yankees’ offense follows. In 2022, when he won his first AL MVP, he hit .293 with six home runs in April, setting the tone for his record-breaking 62-home run season. Judge went 1-for-2, driving in two runs, in his first spring training game.
Aaron Judge will make his 2025 spring training debut March 1 against the Houston Astros at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Before the New York Yankees slugger turns the page, however, it’s worth looking back at his incredible 2024 season.
It’s not fair to the 32-year-old to simply say he had an American League MVP season in 2024. Judge won his second MVP award two years after claiming his first by setting a franchise and AL home run record that stood for 61 years.
