After a career year in 2021, Aaron Judge is poised to become one of the highest-paid in the Majors.
It’s surprising Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has not already handed the MLBbro a blank check by now. The slugger is entering the final year of his rookie deal and has already made it clear he has no plans to continue contract negotiations after his Opening Day deadline. While nobody expects the Yankees to let such a talent leave the Bronx, because he doesn’t have a deal, questions about him possibly playing his final Opening Day game at Yankee Stadium have to be asked.
“Yeah, you think about it,’’ Judge said of the possibility that he could be playing in his final Yankees’ opener. “But ultimately, it comes down to (the fact that) I’ve got games to win. It’s been a while since Yankee fans have held the championship in this city…So, I’ve got a job to do for them, to go out and win.’’
Judge has been the most valuable player for the Yankees since he was called up to the Majors in 2017. He was unanimously selected as the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year and led the Yankees to Game 7 of the ALCS in the same season.
Judge answered many critics in 2021, his best season since his rookie year. He silenced questions about whether or not he can stay healthy for an entire season – or if he could be more than just a power threat at the plate. A ,287 batting average and 39 homers answered those questions.
Judge led the Yankees in almost every offensive category last season: games played, hits, doubles, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and WAR – all while being one of the most underrated defensive players in the sport.
Judge, 29, should soon ink a deal that will make him one of the highest-paid outfielders in baseball. That’s if the new way of doing Yankees business doesn’t try to be cute with Judge’s cheddar.
If a deal isn’t reached, the Yankees and Judge will face arbitration this off-season. Judge and his Yankees open the season against the team that sent them on winter vacation last season – the Boston Red Sox.
So, the franchise should definitely want their best player to be focused on hitting the baseball and not worried about contract negotiations or even getting hurt before he can secure the bag.
Judge says he’s not that concerned, and everything will happen in due time.
“We’ll get there when we get there,’’ Judge told reporters on Tuesday. According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees offered their slugger $17 million. However, Judge declined it, as he was seeking $21 million.
Judge Needs A Huge Pay Boost
According to the Indy Star, the highest paid outfielder in 2022 is the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, who will make more than $37 million. George Springer of the Houston Astros is second, at almost $30 million. Trout’s teammate, Justin Upton, is third on the list at $28 million. The Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryce Harper ($27.5 million) and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich ($26 million) round out the five highest paid outfielders for 2022.
20 outfielders will make $15 million or more this season. 10 will make $20 million or more. You can’t tell me there’s 10 outfielders in baseball better than Aaron Judge. There aren’t 10 better players. A $17M annual salary would be well below Judge’s market value, especially when you take into account that he’s the best player on the most storied franchise in baseball, jersey sales and all of the revenue the bug guy generates for the Yankees.
There are three MLBbros in the top 10 for highest-paid outfielders: Jason Heyward, former MVP Mookie Betts, and 32-year-old George Springer, whose six-year, $150-million deal with the Blue Jays last off-season made him the second highest-paid outfielder in all of baseball.
Judge will get his money eventually, but the Yankees sure are taking a long time to do right by their franchise player.
Andrew McCutchen took starting pitcher Eric Lauer deep twice Tuesday evening in the Philadelphia Phillies 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers at Citizens Bank Park.
McCutchen’s first homer tied the game at 1-1 on a fastball left down the middle of the plate on a 2-2 count that landed in the Phillies bullpen, causing teammates to duck for cover.
Andrew McCutchen’s 34th career home run against the Brewers ties the game at one. pic.twitter.com/frNM6nSOXM
In the bottom of the third, McCutchen sparked a five-run inning which put the Phillies up 6-1 after launching another fastball over the left-field fence.
The feat was McCutchens’ 17th multi-home run game of his career, 35th vs. the Brewers organization, and the first since his stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates back in 2017.
Coming into the game, McCutchen was batting a dismal .176 with an on-base plus slugging percentage of .586. In 102 attempts at the plate, he only has four extra-base hits this season.
The Philadelphia faithful were calling for the future Hall of Famer’s job after the first month of the season.
So, it must have felt gratifying to watch those dingers fly while also being a significant factor in your teams’ victory, especially for the aging former National League Most Valuable Player.
This isn’t the first time McCutchen has had to prove himself after achieving success in the league. The Pirates openly shopped McCutchen, who singlehandedly helped lift them back into the playoffs and relevancy. Before he came to Pittsburgh the franchise was entrapped in record-breaking futility. They haven’t been playoff-caliber since he left. So, he’s confident he can get his bat in good enough shape to help the Phillies make a run at the NL East.
So is his World Series manager Joe Girardi.
“He’s been working really hard on everything,” said Girardi. “He’s starting to find his stroke a little bit. He’s been working really hard with hitting coach Joe Dillon, and he’s starting to find his stroke, and it’s important for us.”
McCutchen, per The Philadelphia Inquirer, said, “I’ve played long enough to where I know sometimes you want to start good; you want to start on the right foot, and sometimes when you don’t, you know that you’ve got work to do.”
He added, “For me, I was just like, look, I’m not where I want to be, but I know where I’m going to be. So, I’ve just got to put the work in, continue working, and the results will come. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
McCutchen also had a hit on Wednesday in Game 1 of a three-game homestand against the Milwaukee Brewers that elevated his average near the Mendoza line. Once a baller always a baller. Age ain’t nothing but a number.
Baseball fans know the likes of Tatis Jr., Manny Machado and golden-armed Blake Snell — some of the San Diego Padres Padres top players.
With all that star power dripping from Petco Park, there’s a multi-faceted Black Knight that gets lost in the sauce. Having played just 110 games before this season, the 24-year-old centerfielder Trent Grisham is still a baby, but he is the party starter at the top of the lineup for the Padres and is having an All-Star season.
Grisham has quickly become a top player not only on his team but in the league. He’s hitting .348 through his last seven games. On the season he is hitting an impressive .306. He’s also tied for sixth in the league with six stolen bases.
Despite the challenges of the 2020 season, when Grisham joined the squad, he was eager and confident to put the work in and show people what he’s all about.
The 24-year-old takes pride in working hard and that is certainly paying off. In an article from The San Diego Union-Tribune which was published in 2020, Grisham talked about how he approaches the game and puts in the work.
“Essentially, for me, it’s all routine-based,” Grisham said. “I’m going to do the same thing every day because I know it translates. So that’s all I really do, is be the best at that routine every single day and have the right mentality … and let it translate.”
Grisham was a first-round draft pick in the 2015 MLB Draft, selected by the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his MLB debut during the 2019 season at the age of 22 and hit six homers in 51 games.
Let’s not beat around the bush here, the San Diego Padres are one of the most exciting teams to watch in baseball. They bring that youthful exuberance and a throwback combination of small ball, swag, timely blasts, and confidence that makes you want to watch them every time they are on TV.
From the plate to the mound, the Padres have the personnel to make a deep run in the postseason. The Padres have one of the top young players in the league in Fernando Tatis Jr., who quickly rose to stardom without ever playing a full season. They paired him with Manny Machado, who has already made quite a name for himself in the league.
Surrounded with young talent and experienced vets, the Padres will surely slug it out with the Dodgers and Giants for NL West supremacy until the very end.
That’s not happening without Grisham, who is challenging White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson and Blue Jays outfielder George Springer for best leadoff hitter in the game.
After spending his first year with the Brewers, he was traded to the Padres in November of 2019. Grisham took full advantage of the 2020 shortened season. The MLB Bro won the National League Gold Glove Award after leading NL outfielders with 134 putouts.
It was the first time since 2012, that a player from San Diego won the award. Now in 2021, Grisham is determined to keep rising to the top.
He’s quickly become a fan favorite and with him roaming the outfield, just know that if that ball is in the park, Grisham is going to find a way to make that catch. He also knows his role as the leadoff hitter and understands he can change the momentum of the game at any time.
When you have hitters like Tatis Jr. and Machado in your lineup, you know that there’s a pretty strong chance you’re scoring when you’re on base. The Padres made the right move in 2019 acquiring Grisham and this season could be the year we see a World Series title come to San Diego.
Grisham is another player that opposing teams have to worry about. Let me tell y’all, our MLB bro can ball!!!
MLB Black Knight Dave Parker had an amazing 18-year career in the Big Leagues and accomplished just about everything imaginable on a baseball field. If you fancy yourself a baseball fan and aren’t hip to “The Cobra” then check out Rob Parker’s video below.
An Atlanta public school is being renamed, taking on baseball legend Hank Aaron’s namesake over a Confederate general. A unanimous vote on Monday has decided the Forrest Hill Academy, named after Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest – is getting a name change for the better.
Forrest who was an original grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan is being replaced by a legendary Black athlete with major ties to Atlanta Georgia. The new name will be the Hank Aaron New Beginnings Academy.
Atlanta's school board has voted to replace the name of Forrest Hill Academy (KKK leader's name) with baseball legend Hank Aaron. pic.twitter.com/BKOIkZFhYc
“The South has a lot to offer with respect to historical teachings and oppression, it’s very important that the history of the south is understood,” a school board member said
Aaron was born in 1934 in Mobile, Alabama, and began his professional career in the Negro Leagues in 1951. He debuted in MLB at age 23, with the Milwaukee Braves. The team moved to Atlanta in the 1960s. Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974, and even through racial tension, he endured. While hunting down Ruth, Aaron received every death threat known to man, but he persevered and continued to be great.
Between 1954 and 1974, “Hammerin Hank” played 21 major league seasons as an Atlanta and Milwaukee Braves right fielder. He played his last two seasons as a Milwaukee Brewer in 1975-76. Aaron passed away in January 2021 at age 86tural causes.
This year’s MLB All-Star Game which was moved from the city of Atlanta following the new voter suppression laws was set to honor him in his city. The game has been moved to Denver and a celebration commemorating Aaron is still scheduled to take place.
Aaron is a Baseball Hall of Famer and World Series champion, but many know him because of his exploits and contributions to civil rights. The school district’s decision to change the school name from an association with bigotry and slavery to Aaron’s is common sense. Hank was the hope of a generation and transcended baseball. His bravery and talent had an effect on Black culture and American culture in every positive way imaginable and he continued to be a guiding light for baseball until his death.
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