New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge may be somewhat vulnerable to strikeouts, especially in breaking pitches low and away.
However, he is still one of the most dangerous hitters in the game.
Fanning him three times in a single game is no easy feat: he could go down once or twice, but he inflicts a lot of damage more often than not.
Yet two pitchers have been able to completely dominate him so far in 2022, a season in which he has hit an incredible 38 home runs.
Those two pitchers are, according to Sarah Langs, New York Mets and Oakland Athletics aces Max Scherzer and Frankie Montas, respectively.
“Pitchers to strike Aaron Judge 3 times in a game this season: Max Scherzer, Tonight Frankie Montas, 6/28,” MLB analyst Sarah Langs tweeted.
Pitchers to strike Aaron Judge 3 times in a game this season:
Max Scherzer, Tonight
Frankie Montas, 6/28— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) July 28, 2022
Scherzer’s Slider Completely Fooled Judge
Montas did it a month ago, while Scherzer achieved the feat last night as the Mets swept the Subway Series against the Bombers.
Scherzer, who lowered his season ERA to a minuscule 2.09, pitched seven scoreless frames for the winning team.
His slider proved impossible to solve by Yankees hitters, particularly for Judge.
Montas happens to be a trade target for the Yanks.
The right-hander with the filthy splitter has a solid 3.18 ERA this year after finishing 2021 with a 3.37 one.
He has blossomed into one of the best starters in the American League, but the A’s probably won’t be competitive in the foreseeable future and are looking to make a trade.
Judge can actually join forces with one of the two guys who struck him out three times in a game this season.
It would be cool to hear those conversations.
As for Scherzer, he will try to keep leading the Mets’ rotation with excellent performances like the one he had on Wednesday.
