Ump robs Aaron Judge in wild KC game, still Yankees star on pace for Don’s record

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Kansas City – On a steamy and stormy night in Kansas City, the New York Yankees edged the Royals 1–0 in a game remembered more for its controversy than its score. In a pivotal eighth-inning sequence, Yankees captain Aaron Judge was at the center of a high-stakes moment — one that turned on an umpire’s sudden inconsistency.

It was a moment that may have no bearing on Judge’s jaw-dropping season totals, but it certainly left its mark on a game that demanded perfection. And when it came to one of the most disciplined hitters in baseball, perfection was denied by home plate umpire Alfonso Marquez.

An impossible at-bat in a rain-halted game

Following a rain delay, the game resumed in the top of the eighth inning still locked in a 0–0 tie. Pablo Reyes, fresh off a highlight-reel defensive performance, led off with a single. It was the spark Yankees manager Aaron Boone had been waiting for.

So he went to his biggest weapon — Aaron Judge, who had sat out the game for his first full day off of the season. Still, Judge had made it known to Boone that he was ready to go. Boone obliged when the moment mattered most.

Judge came in to pinch hit against Royals’ top reliever Lucas Erceg, who brought a nasty arsenal and a devastating changeup to the mound. With the count full, Judge stood poised — until the at-bat turned chaotic.

The controversial strike call

On the 3-2 pitch, Erceg unleashed the same low-and-inside changeup he’d just thrown one pitch earlier — a pitch that had clearly missed and been called a ball.

However, this time, Marquez called it a strike. Judge stood frozen, correctly reading the previous zone. The pitch appeared to land in the same spot, but now the call had changed.

The inconsistency cost Judge — and the Yankees — a chance at a game-breaking inning.

“If you’re told that pitch isn’t a strike one moment and then it is the next, what can a hitter do?” a Yankees official said after the game. “Especially a hitter like Judge, who lives by plate discipline.”

To add to the confusion, Judge had tried to call timeout before the previous pitch, which wasn’t granted. It rattled the rhythm. Had he swung, he admitted later, “I probably wouldn’t have made contact.”

Instead, he relied on the zone as it had just been defined. And it betrayed him.

Judge’s MVP-caliber season continues

Despite the botched call, Aaron Judge’s 2025 campaign remains historic. The Yankees’ captain entered the night slashing .394/.490/.779 with a 1.269 OPS — numbers unseen in the modern era. He had just clubbed his 25th home run of the season the night before.

Judge now leads Major League Baseball in batting average, hits, OPS, and total bases. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, Judge is currently on pace for:

• 241 hits
• 61 home runs
• 145 RBI
• 157 runs scored
• 42 doubles
• 5 triples
• 110 walks
• OPS+ of 250

For context, Ted Williams posted a 235 OPS+ in 1941, the year he batted .406.

If Judge stays healthy, he’s projected to break Don Mattingly’s Yankees single-season hit record of 238 set in 1986 — a mark that has stood for nearly four decades. He’s also within range of leading the Yankees to another deep October run.

The bigger picture: Judge’s plate IQ

What makes the missed call even more frustrating for fans is Judge’s improved approach in 2025. He’s swinging less, striking out less, and trusting the zone more than ever.

That maturity at the plate is why his bat is on historic pace. To see it undermined by a human error in such a crucial spot isn’t just a momentary frustration — it highlights the flaws that still exist in how games are decided.

“I’ve never seen a hitter adjust pitch-to-pitch like Judge does right now,” a rival pitching coach told The Athletic. “He’s not guessing. He’s solving problems. That’s what makes bad calls against him stand out so much.”

Boone backs his captain

While Boone didn’t go full ejection mode, he made his opinion known postgame.

“Judge had every reason to let that pitch go,” Boone said. “He read it off the last call. You can’t move the zone like that in a big spot.”

Still, Boone praised Judge’s readiness after a full day off and said he expects the captain back in the starting lineup at Fenway.

Yankees keep rolling despite controversy

The Yankees ultimately won the game thanks to Pablo Reyes’ hustle and late-inning defense, along with a shutdown bullpen that sealed the 1–0 victory. But the Judge at-bat remains the conversation piece — not just for its controversy, but for what it reveals about the stakes.

When your MVP is chasing Yankees history, the margin for officiating error shrinks. Judge might not say it, but the baseball world knows: when you’re this locked in, the strike zone shouldn’t move.

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