New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is undoubtedly one of the best in baseball today at getting on base. On Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays contributed to his impressive on-base percentage, though in a manner that frustrated Yankees fans and Juan Soto.
“It sucks. You want him at the plate. I’m doing my best to put him up and you see them pass him over,” Soto said about the Blue Jays intentionally walking Judge three times in a 4-3 Yankees home victory (h/t Chris Kirschner of The Athletic).
“It just really makes me mad. I don’t like that. I want them to challenge him and see what he can really do. It is what it is. It’s part of the game. They’re trying to win too, so you respect that,” Soto added.
Judge ended the game 1-for-2 with three walks. In his first at-bat, he struck out after a six-pitch duel with Blue Jays starter Yariel Rodriguez. In the third inning, Judge notched his only hit, a single off Rodriguez.
In the fifth inning, after issuing a free pass to Soto, Rodriguez intentionally walked Judge. Genesis Cabrera intentionally walked Judge again in the seventh inning. With the game tied 3-3, Ryan Burr issued Judge’s final intentional walk in his last plate appearance.
Entering Sunday’s series finale against the Blue Jays, Judge’s OBP for the 2024 MLB season was .452, which rose to .456 by the game’s end, leading the majors in OBP. Soto, who went 2-for-3 with a home run and two walks, is second with a .437 OBP.
The Yankees have a formidable duo with Soto and Judge batting consecutively, but the Blue Jays’ tactics in the series finale showcased how this potential can be limited.
New York left 14 runners on base in the win over Toronto and struggled with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-11. Giancarlo Stanton went 0-for-3 in such situations, while DJ LeMahieu, Austin Wells, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Anthony Volpe, and Trent Grisham combined for 2-for-7.
