Aaron Judge said a lot without speaking a word during a live batting practice session at the New York Yankees' spring training site in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday.
Facing fellow teammate and 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Judge, the reigning AL MVP, took a patient approach, watching two offerings from the Yankees starting pitcher go by without swinging his bat.
That was not good enough for someone, presumably a fan, watching though, as the individual in question could be heard loudly yelling, "Swing the bat!" before the third pitch.
Well, Judge heard that loud and clear and responded perfectly, as he proceeded to crush the next pitch.
Here's video of the moment, courtesy of Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.
“Swing the bat!” Aaron Judge responds with some loud contact: pic.twitter.com/U0836mn545
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) February 19, 2025
Judge enters the '25 season on the heels of one of the greatest seasons by a right-handed power hitter in MLB history. In 158 games played, Judge posted a .322/.458/.701 slash line with 58 home runs, 144 RBI, 133 walks, and 122 runs scored while helping to lead the Yankees to the club's first AL pennant since '09.
If the above video is any indication, Judge looks to be in midseason form.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aaron Judge Crushes Ball at Yankees Spring Training After Getting Jeered by Fan.
