Fansided

MLB Power Rankings: Top 25 players in the game today

By Joshua Sadlock

ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 02: Mike Trout #27 of the Los Angeles Angels reacts to his solo homerun for a 1-1 tie with the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Angel Stadium on May 2, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – MAY 02: New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts on a double in the sixth inning during an MLB baseball game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees on May 2, 2018 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.(Photo by: Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – MAY 02: New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts on a double in the sixth inning during an MLB baseball game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees on May 2, 2018 at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas.(Photo by: Juan DeLeon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

10. Aaron Judge

Baseball’s biggest adult son Aaron Judge burst onto the scene last year after barely winning a roster spot out of Spring Training. He was the talk of the league — if not the entire sporting world — for the first half and nearly rode the wave to the AL MVP. Judge ended his rookie year with a .284/.422/.627 line with 52 home runs and 114 RBI. He also led the AL with 127 walks. Those 208 strikeouts, which led all of MLB, can be overlooked.

Judge is off to another strong start in 2018, although not quite as powerful as last season. With Giancarlo Stanton and Gary Sanchez struggling behind him, pitchers have not had much reason to challenge Judge. As Stanton and Sanchez heat up and join Didi Gregorius in putting up MVP-type numbers, the league’s hurlers won’t have much choice but to put the ball over the plate to Judge and hope for the best.

Strikeouts are always going to be an issue for Judge simply because he is so large and his swing has holes. Where he excels is in ultimate control of the strike zone. Judge just refuses to chase. He is swinging at fewer than 22 percent of pitches off the plate this year, a marked decline from last year where he was already one of the best in the league.

The Yankees lineup is deadly and will only get better in the months to come. Judge set the bar for himself extremely high with a rookie record for home runs, but he is backing it up so far in 2018.

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