Juan Soto criticizes Blue Jays’ approach to Aaron Judge
- August 4, 2024
- 9:39 pm
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Follow UsNew York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto expressed his frustration over the Toronto Blue Jays’ repeated decision to intentionally walk Aaron Judge, which occurred three times during Sunday’s game.
“It sucks. You want him at the plate,” Soto said, according to The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner. “I’m doing my best to put him up, and you see them pass him over. 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.”
What happened
The Blue Jays’ cautious approach to Judge has been a significant talking point. Even during Saturday’s game, Judge was intentionally walked with two outs and nobody on base, a highly unusual move. John Schneider, Toronto’s manager, explained his decision after the game. “I honestly didn’t feel like seeing him swing,” Schneider said, as reported by MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. “He’s in a different category, I think, than anyone else in the league. He can flip the script of a game with one swing.”
Toronto’s strategy reflects the immense respect and fear Judge instills in opposing teams. The Blue Jays won the first game of the series on Friday but lost the next two, including Sunday’s closely contested match where they intentionally walked Judge three times despite being just one run behind.
Judge’s performance this season has justified these cautious tactics. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo highlighted that Judge became the first player in 50 seasons to be intentionally walked with the bases empty in the first two innings of a game. Judge leads the majors with 41 home runs and 103 RBIs, while maintaining an impressive .322 batting average, ranking third in the league.
The frequent intentional walks underscore Judge’s ability to change the game’s outcome with a single swing. However, for Soto and the Yankees, it’s a source of frustration as it deprives the team and fans of witnessing one of baseball’s most exciting players in action.
As the season progresses, it will be interesting to see if other teams follow the Blue Jays’ lead in handling Judge or if the Yankees can leverage the situations created by these intentional walks. For now, Soto and the Yankees will continue to advocate for their star slugger to get more opportunities at the plate, confident that his exceptional talent will prevail despite the cautious tactics employed by their opponents.
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