The Verdict Is In As Aaron Judge Is Crowned The 2017 Home Run Derby Champion
The verdict is in as New York rookie Aaron Judge who is leading the majors in home runs with thirty is your Home Run Derby Champion for 2017.
All rise. Again, again and again. Aaron Judge lived up to the hype of his remarkable rookie campaign by slamming nearly four miles of home runs on Monday evening at Marlins Park, including four drives of more than 500 feet, crowning the Yankees' slugger as the newest champion of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Judge overcame 22 first-round blasts from Justin Bour of the Marlins and a dozen long balls from the Dodgers' Cody Bellinger in the second. Judge slammed 11 homers in the finals to defeat Miguel Sano of the Twins, finishing with 1:53 still on the clock. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Aaron Judge had this to say about the event. "I had no pressure going into it. I'm a rookie," Judge said. "This is my first time doing it. For me, I've got no expectations. I'm just going to go in there and have some fun and see what we can do tonight. It was a blast. I enjoyed every minute of it -- watching the other guys swing, coming here early and talking to the media. Everything about today was fantastic." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Everyone was anticipating a matchup of Aaron Judge and 2016 champion Miami's Giancarlo Stanton of Miami but fellow Yankees player and Aaron Judge's teammate catcher Gary Sanchez knocked off the defending champion in the first round as he hit seventeen home runs while Giancarlo Stanton had sixteen. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
"I honestly didn't think about [facing Stanton]," Judge said. "I was trying to get out of the first round." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Although Aaron Judge got his share of displeasure from the fans in Miami as he was booed before winning over the crowd as he hit of 37,027, hitting a total of 47 homers against just 29 "outs." The first rookie to win the Derby outright (the Angels' Wally Joyner was a co-champion in 1986), Judge hit 16 homers with exit velocities of 115 mph or harder, and to all fields of the ballpark. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Colorado's Charlie Blackman had this to say about Aaron Judge" "He's so quiet and simple that he looks like a contact hitter trapped in an ogre's body," the Rockies' Charlie Blackmon said. "I don't know that the game has ever seen a power like that. Stanton has the most velocity, but I think Judge is going to be a really interesting career to follow." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Although the rookie right fielder Aaron Judge faced adversity before stepping up to bat as he had to before he even stepped to the plate, watching from the batting cage as Bour put 22 on the board. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound Judge responded with 23, including a 501-foot blast that cleared the home run sculpture in left-center field. "according to
http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
"Once Justin put on that show like that, I just had to go to work," Judge said. "I was having fun out there and just had to go to work." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
As he did in batting practice, Judge clipped the roof with a drive. Because it did not count, Judge was told he had only tied Bour with five seconds remaining. He easily cleared the center-field wall with his final swing. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
"I think I still had the 30-second bonus left, so I really didn't have any worries," Judge said. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Judge faced a less daunting challenge in the second round, producing a baker's dozen -- including blasts of 501, 504 and 513 feet -- before defeating Bellinger with a 507-foot drive to left field. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
The 507- and 513-foot drives are the two longest home runs ever tracked by Statcast™ -- in the regular season, the postseason or past Home Run Derbies. Judge now has the four longest blasts tracked by Statcast™ in the Derby, and the only four Derby homers hit at least 500 feet. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Fellow competitor Cody Bellinger had to say this about the balls Aaron Judge hit. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
don't know what to say," Bellinger said. "What do you say after those balls?" "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Both Judge and Sanchez opted to have their regular batting-practice pitcher, Danilo Valiente, toss to them in Miami. Judge said that the 51-year-old Valiente has a knack for finding the barrel of his bat. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Aaron Judge had this to say about Danilo Valiente "He's a fantastic coach and a better person," Judge said. "He's always looking out for me. He goes the extra mile for anything. During the game, I go down there and he's doing soft toss, throwing me a little bit of BP during games. I am glad I was there with Danilo." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Stacked end to end, Judge's homers traveled 3.9 miles and would have enough distance to reach from home plate at Marlins Park into nearby Biscayne Bay. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
"He's an animal," Sano said. "The first time I saw Aaron Judge hit BP, I could tell he was a monster." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Judge's 23 first-round homers marked the third-best round in Home Run Derby history, trailing only Josh Hamilton's 28 in 2008 and Bobby Abreu's 24 in 2005. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Even after the unforgettable display, Judge still appeared to have energy left in the tank, suggesting that he may already be ready to defend the title. "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
"I try to take everything one day at a time. That's what's helped me along this first half of the year," Judge said. "I have had wonderful people help me out through the years. And I can't thank them enough for where I'm at right now." "according to http://m.yankees.mlb.com/news/article/241596010/aaron-judge-wins-2017-home-run-derby/
Will Aaron Judge defend his title next year in Washington DC at Nationals Park?