Aaron Judge muscles Blue Jays to yield weird intentional walk, first since 1972

Aaron Judge continued his remarkable performance, reaching base four out of five times. His contributions included a two-run homer in the first inning, his 41st of the season. Judge also received a surprising intentional walk in the second inning with two outs and bases empty, a move that caught him off guard given the early stage of the game and the 4-1 score.

Aaron Judge intentionally walked…with no one on and 2 outs. 😲

That's respect. pic.twitter.com/a3ZIYMZ2Us

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 3, 2024

Aaron Judge expressed his surprise at the intentional walk, noting its unusual timing. He speculated that the Blue Jays might have preferred to face the next batter. Although Austin Wells followed with a single, Torres struck out to end the inning.

Blue Jays resort to unusual strategy against Aaron Judge

In a twist following the Yankees’ recent controversy over Gleyber Torres’ lack of hustle, it was Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider who unexpectedly showcased a different kind of hustle—strategic decision-making. 

In Saturday’s game, rather than seeing another instance of sluggish effort on the basepaths, fans witnessed Schneider making a swift and deliberate choice to intentionally walk Aaron Judge. This tactic aimed to quickly neutralize the Yankees’ power hitter, who has been on a recent tear.

Schneider’s strategy contrasted sharply with Carlos Mendoza’s approach on July 23. Mendoza had allowed Aaron Judge to be unintentionally walked four times before finally having him face reliever Jake Diekman, resulting in a strikeout that clinched a 3-2 victory for the Mets.

What made Schneider’s intentional walk particularly noteworthy was its timing: it occurred with two outs and no runners on base in the second inning. This marked a rare scenario, not seen since the days of the original Yankee Stadium when monuments were still on the field. It was the 56th intentional walk of Aaron Judge’s career, but it stood out for its unusual context and timing.

The rare intentional walk decision hadn’t been seen since August 10, 1972, in a game between the California Angels and the Minnesota Twins. In that instance, Rudy May was directed to intentionally walk Glenn Borgman to face Ray Corbin, back when pitchers still batted in the American League.

Saturday’s situation, however, was strikingly different. It featured a manager, frustrated by a superstar’s relentless power hitting, resorting to an unconventional tactic to avoid another potential home run. This occurred even with two outs and no runners on base in the second inning.

John Schneider defended his decision, expressing his reluctance to see Aaron Judge swing again. He highlighted the careful strategy needed when facing the Yankees slugger, noting the 4-1 score at the time. Schneider underscored Aaron Judge’s extraordinary ability to alter a game’s outcome with a single swing, referencing Judge’s two home runs earlier in the series. This strategy highlighted the immense respect and caution of the Yankees captain’s exceptional hitting prowess commands from opposing teams.

“I honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing,” he said about the free pass to Aaron Judge. “That was kind of it. He’s in a different category I think than anyone else in the league where he can just flip the script of a game with one swing. Obviously he’s done it twice this series, so didn’t really feel like watching him swing.”

The strategic approaches of managers Carlos Mendoza and John Schneider were shaped by the Yankees’ varying lineup strengths. Mendoza’s strategy, which came into play when J.D. Davis was the fourth batter and the Yankees were missing the offensive firepower of Giancarlo Stanton, differed markedly from Schneider’s approach. Schneider faced a more formidable lineup, featuring Austin Wells batting fourth, Gleyber Torres fifth, and the newly acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. sixth, who had been delivering strong performances since joining the team.

Manager Aaron Boone noted that such intentional walk tactics have occasionally surfaced, particularly in 2022. Boone expressed confidence in the team’s enhanced ability to navigate these situations, pointing to the improved depth of the Yankees’ lineup in recent weeks.

Historically, the Yankees have hovered around a .500 record in games where Aaron Judge has been intentionally walked. In 2022, during Aaron Judge’s record-breaking 62 home run season, he received 19 intentional walks in 16 games, with the Yankees securing victories in nine of those contests.

This situation underscores Aaron Judge’s significant influence on game strategy and the respect he commands from opposing teams, while also spotlighting the Yankees’ bolstered offensive depth.

Managers’ decisions to intentionally walk a player with 41 home runs and 103 RBIs are understandable, especially after witnessing Aaron Judge’s recent 470-foot and 426-foot home runs off Kevin Gausman and Jose Berrios in consecutive games.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., currently on a hot streak with a .500+ average over 16 games, acknowledged the respect shown to Aaron Judge through intentional walks. He affirmed that the intentional walks are a testament to the respect the Yankees slugger has earned in the league, highlighting the impact of his performance on opposing teams’ strategies.

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