...And Justice for All

(Music Pun #5. Easy enough)

Not only is Aaron Judge still a home-run hitting machine, but...he's actually kinda hitting for average!!!

I mean, Judge isn't necessarily the most complex player, but he's definitely been more versatile than he was last year, regardless of the accolades. He still strikes out too much, and while he has gotten better with RBIs and regular hits, he's still primarily a power hitter. But as far as power hitters go, he's one of the best, rivaled only by his teammate Giancarlo Stanton.

This is a guy who I immediately worried, after last season, would be a fluke, because of the amount of home runs, as well as the futility of his 2016 come-up. But then I remembered that Mike Trout was equally futile during his 2011 come up. It was only the full rookie season, 2012 for him, where we completely understood the potential. Now, Mike Trout is a much better player than Aaron Judge, and is much more than a home run hitter, but Judge is very similar to Trout in a number of ways, especially their ability to be great defensive outfielders.

Judge also doesn't necessarily have to carry this Yankees team- it's a group effort, as Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton, Luis Severino and Aroldis Chapman, to name a few, are equally surging. The Yankees are great right now because of the strength of the ensemble, not because of one player pulling all the rest. This is something they have in common with Boston- everyone on the team is playing pretty well, and the only weak spots, like a fifth starter or a permanent 1st baseman, will be rectified with either a trade or a call-up.

The Yankees are one game ahead of the Red Sox, and, thanks to Judge, they're looking pretty damn good right now.

Coming Tonight: A bit too long to be a household name, but coming mighty close as a member of this landmark Braves team.