Entering the season, there have been questions as to whether the New York Yankees should extend outfielder Aaron Judge. Concerns regarding his durability have been noted, not to mention the Yankees already have Giancarlo Stanton and Gerrit Cole locked into long-term deals through the 2027 season and beyond.
Until this year, Judge hasn’t been able to surpass 112 games played in a regular season since his sensational rookie campaign when he hit 52 home runs; a record among rookies. Despite the limited availability, Judge has been able total to 27 homers in three of four seasons since then. The only exception has been the abbreviated season in which he once again ran into a mid-season injury.
Aside from two brief stints on the IL in the month of July, Judge has shown promise this season. He has posted a consistent .287 batting average to go with 27 home runs. His strikeout rate remains high among the league rate, but the two-way play of Judge makes that negative more forgiving.
Judge has seen time in center field this season to accommodate the team’s acquisition of Joey Gallo. This has also allowed Stanton to play in his natural right field position in order for Luke Voit to receive playing time since New York added Anthony Rizzo at the Trade Deadline.
It is unclear what Judge’s asking price will be, but at the current rate, the cost could surpass $240 million during negotiations. There once was an argument for the Yankees not to extend Judge, but he has answered the call on multiple occasions.
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