All Rise for Aaron Judge

    As of June 6, 2017, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge leads the league in home runs with 18 through 54 games.  What's so special about Judge's ability to hit bombs, you may ask?  Albeit Yankee Stadium has one of the shortest outfield dimensions compared to every other MLB stadium, this is Judge's first full season in the major leagues.  Also, he's just 25 years old.

    He first made headlines in the 2016 season after he hit a home run in his first ever plate appearance in the major league level, right after fellow rookie Tyler Austin also hit his first home run in his first ever plate appearance.  This occurrence, having two rookies hit back-to-back home runs in both of their first ever plate appearances made history as the first ever in MLB history.

    What makes this even more impressive is the fact that Judge had to fight for a roster spot in the beginning of the year.  Before the season, many tabbed the Yankees to be a non-contending team in the playoffs.  They have traded many of their superstars for prospects to focus on the organization's future, also known as rebuilding.  Young prospects such as Aaron Judge, Gary Sanchez and Greg Bird have stepped up and truly proved everyone wrong.  The Yankees have surprised the baseball world by currently leading the AL East over powerhouse teams such as the Blue Jays and the Red Sox with a record of 32-22, the 4th best in the entire league.

    Many continue to doubt the Yankees' hot start, foreseeing a downfall in the near future.  I believe that the team is capable of making a deep playoff run, but many things need to go right including consistent production from every player and avoiding injuries.