Aaron Judge Explains Why He Won't Participate in 2022 Home Run Derby
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The first two months of the 2022 regular season have seemed like a Home Run Derby for Aaron Judge.
New York's slugger entered play on Thursday with 25 home runs, leading all of Major League Baseball by a wide margin (no other player has more than 18 long balls).
With 25 through the first 62 games of the season, Judge is on a current pace to mash 65 bombs this year, enough to break Roger Maris' single-season record in the American League.
So is this the year Judge will return to the Home Run Derby for the first time since he won the event in Miami back in 2017?
“Nope. No need, I already did it once,” Judge told the New York Post on Thursday. “I’m all good with that.”
As much as Judge would be appointment viewing in such an event—a perfect story as crosstown rival Pete Alonso looks to defend his crown after winning the last two contests—this feels like a no-brainer.
Judge stole the show at Marlins Park in 2017, but he also saw his numbers dip after the event. He managed some shoulder issues after the Derby as well, undergoing surgery that following offseason. With this kind of historic pace, leading the best team in all of baseball while putting up MVP-caliber numbers, this spectacle—as fun as it would be—isn't worth the risk.
That said, Judge should be a starter in the 2022 All-Star Game for the American League. Before first pitch on Thursday, Judge was hitting .313/.384/.683 with 53 runs scored, 49 RBI and 3.8 fWAR, staying healthy all year long while playing quality defense in both right and center field.
MORE:
- Yankees Injury Update: Domingo Germán Nearing Return
- Yankees Place Luis Severino on COVID-19 I.L.
- What Aaron Judge's Teammates Are Saying About His Historic Start to This Season
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