If Aaron Judge is the New York Yankees’ Superman, the Kansas City Royals may believe that they have his kryptonite in Michael Wacha, their Game 1 starter in the American League Division Series.
Judge has just one hit (a single) in 18 career at-bats (.056) vs. Wacha, a righty veteran. It’s Judge’s lowest career batting average vs. any pitcher he’s faced at least that many times.
Over that span, Judge has nabbed three walks but has also recorded 11 strikeouts. His only hit against Wacha came last season when Wacha was pitching for the San Diego Padres in a game at Yankee Stadium. Judge crushed a 114.1 mph line drive to left field in a 2-1 count on a 91-mph fastball left dangling over the heart of the plate.
What’s the deal with Wacha getting the better of Judge to date?
The Yankees don’t see it as that big of a problem.
“I’ll chalk this up to small sample and I’ll take Aaron Judge against just about anyone on any day,” manager Aaron Boone said.
“He’s a good pitcher, right?” hitting coach James Rowson said. “He can mix it up. He’s got experience.”
Aaron Boone on the Royals. pic.twitter.com/eu8GC3Wot8
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) October 3, 2024
If the Yankees hope to reach their first World Series since 2009, they’re going to need a lot of help from Judge, who will likely run away with this year’s American League MVP award. He led the league in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701) and OPS (1.159). And he did it all while playing out of position in center field and leading a Yankees clubhouse in his second season as team captain.
Meanwhile, Wacha, 33, had another strong season. In 29 starts, he went 13-8 with a 3.35 ERA.
He didn’t face Judge this season, but Wacha surely knows he’s had Judge’s number.
“Probably luck,” Wacha said, laughing, according to a report from The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner in 2022. “I know he’s hit some balls hard off of me. He doesn’t have much to show for that.”
Wacha wasn’t wrong.
Of Judge’s 10 batted balls against Wacha, three of them have gone for more than 100 mph, including a 118.6 mph grounder that resulted in a double play. Judge has an average exit velocity of 94.5 mph against Wacha, just below his career average of 95.7 mph.
Wacha’s attack features one of the best changeups in the game. This season, it’s accounted for 32.2 percent of his pitches — more than any of the other five pitches he throws. Opponents had just a .169 average and a 34.1 percent whiff rate against his changeup. Judge, conversely, faced changeups 10.5 percent of the time and he had only a .229 average against them.(he still slugged .625 against the pitch).
Michael Wacha, Filthy 83mph Changeup. 😷 pic.twitter.com/lOP7rI39zR
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) August 24, 2024
Boone had high praise for Wacha.
“(He’s) a tough customer,” the manager said. “He’s always pitched us tough. We know we’ve got our work cut out for us.”
Judge homered in five consecutive games before ending his regular season with a five-strikeout game against rookie Paul Skenes and the Pittsburgh Pirates in Game No. 161.
“I see him in a great spot,” Rowson said. “Anybody is going to have some tough days in this game, but I think this season speaks for itself. I think what he’s able to do this year is something that we haven’t seen from a right-handed hitter maybe in the history of the game in terms of what he’s been able to do. So I love where he’s at.”
And Rowson said he thinks Judge won’t take his past against Wacha into Saturday.
“I look at this matchup coming up like — it’s a different game,” the hitting coach said. “Now, it’s just one game at a time. There’s something to having a track record. Then there’s a statement of presence (and) staying in the moment that’s coming to us. I know that Judgey is going to be in the moment.”
(Photo: Luke Hales / Getty Images)