Aaron Judge walk-off home run by the numbers: Nothing little league about it
By Mark Powell
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his MLB-leading tenth home run of the season on Tuesday night, a walk off to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays.
Rangers manager Chris Woodward made waves over the weekend when he provided the media with their usual anti-Yankee Stadium soundbite.
Woodward declared Yankee Stadium a little league park after Gleyber Torres’ game-winning home run, despite the fact that said home run would’ve reached the seats in 26 of 30 ballparks. Yanks manager Aaron Boone responded, claiming Woodward’s math had to be off.
Banter aside, the Yankees won their series against Texas, who took their short porch arguments home with them to Arlington. New York faced a familiar foe on Tuesday in the Toronto Blue Jays, with Judge providing a game-winning blast that even Woodward couldn’t argue against.
That was Judge’s first career walk-off home run.
Yankees: Aaron Judge home run by the numbers
Judge’s home run, to the surprise of no one who watched the highlight above, would’ve been a blast in 30 out of 30 ballparks. Few stadiums ever built could contain such a blast, including the Polo Grounds.
By the time it landed, Judge’s home run when 450 feet, had an exit velocity of 112.5 mph, a 31 degree launch angle and a 1.000 xBA.
The Yankees win was aided by home plate umpire Lance Barrett, who ejected pitcher Yimi Garcia and eventually manager Charlie Montoyo in the later innings, which perhaps impacted Toronto’s bullpen decision-making.
Montoyo and the Jays were upset that a precedent was set when Garcia was thrown out for plunking Josh Donaldson. Yet, when the Yanks threw up and in to Bo Bichette, nothing was done.
Jordan Romano’s second blown save of the season, this one coming on a hanging breaking ball, was well-deserved.