Aaron Judge ups tempo for upcoming season, seeks unusually more at-bats

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Aaron Judge isn’t interested in taking the standard superstar’s leisurely path through spring training anymore.

The Yankees captain, fresh off a monster 2024 campaign that saw him blast 58 home runs while hitting .322, has significantly changed his preseason preparation. After analyzing his early-season struggles last year, Judge has committed to nearly doubling his spring training at-bats — a decision that could have major implications for both his individual performance and the Yankees’ championship aspirations.

“If you want to improve your bench press, you do more pushups or whatever you’ve got to do,” Judge said after going 1-for-2 with a two-run single in his spring debut against Houston. “If I want to improve on the season, maybe I need more (spring) at-bats. That might help me throughout the season a little better.”

Judge’s adjusted spring training approach

Despite finishing 2024 with statistics that placed him among the game’s elite — 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, 133 walks and a staggering 1.159 OPS across 158 games — Judge’s season began with an uncharacteristic struggle. Through his first 33 games, the Yankees’ franchise cornerstone was batting just .197, creating an early-season hole he spent months digging out from.

While Judge ultimately recovered to produce his typically dominant numbers, the slow start left him wondering if a different approach to spring training might eliminate such early-season adjustments altogether.

“I felt ready, definitely ready going into Opening Day,” the Yankees captain said. “But when you reflect on the season, you kind of look back and think, ‘What can I maybe try to improve?'”

The answer, Judge believes, lies in more game repetitions before Opening Day.

Balancing workload and game action

Judge’s spring training workload has typically been managed carefully by the Yankees, with an emphasis on keeping their star player healthy for the 162-game grind. Last year, he logged just 27 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, the second-lowest total of his career outside the pandemic-shortened 2020 spring training.

For 2025, the Yankees slugger is targeting between 40 and 50 spring at-bats — a substantial increase designed to sharpen his timing and rhythm at the plate before games start counting. Usually, veterans want 20-30 at-bats during the spring games.

“Last year I was around 30, but I think we’re gonna bump it up maybe to 40 to 50,” Judge said. “That’s why I’ve been trying to do a lot of stuff on the back fields, getting three to four at-bats every single day.”

Though Judge didn’t appear in any of the Yankees’ first six exhibition games this spring, he wasn’t idle. The slugger participated in numerous live batting practice sessions against Yankees pitchers, treating those simulated at-bats as valuable opportunities to refine his swing before stepping into actual game competition.

Why Yankees passed on challenging umpire’s calls

During his first spring appearance against Houston, Judge struck out looking on two borderline pitches called by home plate umpire Jen Pawol. Despite having the option to challenge those calls through the automatic ball-strike challenge system being used in spring training, the Yankees captain deliberately chose not to.

“It’s spring training for all of us,” Judge explained. “I’m still trying to figure out the zone, so that’s why I’m not going to challenge anything. I’ve got to figure it out.”

His reasoning reflects the practical reality that the challenge system won’t be available during regular season games. Rather than seeking artificial validation in spring, Judge is focused on calibrating his batting eye to human umpires and becoming more aggressive on borderline pitches that might otherwise be called strikes.

Judge’s importance magnified for 2025

Judge’s commitment to starting strong carries particular significance for the 2025 Yankees. With Giancarlo Stanton dealing with elbow issues that have limited his spring participation and several new faces integrating into the lineup following offseason moves, his bat becomes even more crucial to the team’s success.

The Yankees management has been supportive of Judge’s approach to increase his spring training workload while still prioritizing his long-term health for the 162-game season ahead.

For a franchise that hasn’t reached the World Series since 2009 despite consistent regular-season success, Judge’s performance from day one could be the difference between another playoff disappointment and the organization’s 28th championship.

Path to another MVP?

While Judge has consistently emphasized team success over individual accolades throughout his career, his adjusted preparation strategy could position him for an even more impressive statistical campaign than his MVP-worthy 2024 season.

Baseball analysts suggest that eliminating his early-season adjustment period could push Judge into truly historic statistical territory. If he were to maintain his post-April 2024 pace for an entire season, projections indicate he could approach or even exceed 65 home runs while maintaining a batting average well above .300.

As the Yankees continue their spring schedule, Judge is expected to appear more frequently in games, gradually building toward Opening Day on March 28 when New York hosts the Brewers.

Judge’s focus remains on helping the team win championships, and his personal preparation aims to ensure he contributes at his highest level from the first game of the season.

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