There is no doubt the New York Yankees’ lineup took a hit this winter.
Losing a generational slugger like Juan Soto creates a huge void that would decimate most teams, but according to managers surveyed by ESPN, the Yankees still have the most feared hitter in the game.
Aaron Judge still strikes fear in opposing managers even without Soto in the lineup ahead of him. At the Winter meetings, ESPN writers queried a handful of managers to ask
“Which opposing hitter do you least want to face with the game on the line?
“This isn’t rocket science — it’s Judge. I just would not want to face Judge. He’s just that good,” Rocco Baldelli said.
No wonder the Twins manager is afraid Judge has hit .341 with 11 home runs and a 1.200 OPS against the Minnesota over his career.
Closer to home, in the American League East, Brandon Hyde considers Judge among the most feared in the game.
“There’s so many. (Shohei) Ohtani, Soto, (Aaron) Judge, (Mookie) Betts, Yordan Alvarez. Wrap them all up. I don’t want to face any of them,” the Baltimore Orioles manager said.
Judge should be top of Hyde’s mind, he has absolutely crushed the Orioles. Over his career, he has hammered 45 homers against Baltimore, including 24 in Camden Yards, the Orioles home ballpark.
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton, however, thinks the Yankees lost the best hitter in the game in Soto, and Angels skipper Ron Washington got a little salty when admitting Mookie Betts beat him many times.
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