You know the power Aaron Judge possesses at the plate, but his cannon of an arm in the outfield is just as deadly as an asset.
The Yankees edged the Angels 2-1 on Friday night, and if it wasn’t for Judge’s two incredible throws from right field to gun a runner at home and at second base on two different occasions, the Angels could've been the team to come out on top.
Judge showed the baseball world that you should never sleep on the mammoth outfielder, and that his arm strength and accruacy might be the most underrated part of his game.
While we’ve seen some bombs leave the stadium at well over three digits, the Yankees outfielder can now boast that he can register 100 mph with his bat and arm. The Bronx Bomber officially set the MLB season record and his own personal best with this outfield assist to nail Kole Calhoun at the plate with this missile of a throw.
As you could see, Justin Upton poked a single into right, which Judge scooped up cleanly and fired home a strike from the short porch in the right field of Yankee stadium right to catcher Gary Sanchez.
You’d think the Angels would learn that it probably isn’t wise to take your chances whenever a ball is hit to his direction. Fast forward to the 7th inning, and the 26-year-old then gunned out Martin Maldonado trying to stretch a single in extra bases.
Last year, Judge’s teammate and fellow outfielder Aaron Hicks registered 105.5 mph on the gun by catching a runner trying to tag up and score.
With defence like this, the Yankees are proving that they aren’t just mashers, and are incredibly talented well-rounded baseball players.
According to Fangraphs, Judge is tied for 4th among right fielders in DRS (defensive runs saved) in the MLB. If you ever needed proof as to why, circle back to these videos.
(h/t MLB)
