Aaron Judge marked his return to the MLB with what he does best—a dinger to put his team into the lead against the Baltimore Orioles. But the star slugger became a Yankee only because of a risky play by the Bronx Bombers in 2013 that led the star to realize his true potential. The 2022 Home Run King may lace up in Yankee Stadium today, but the story of how it came to be is more interesting.

Always touted, Yankees star Aaron Judge was a power hitter throughout his college career. And while a known entity for most franchises, when the time came for Judge to make it to the big leagues, one franchise stood out from the others—the New York Yankees. Author David Fischer recounts the story in his book “Aaron Judge – The Incredible Story of the New York Yankees’ Home Run Hitting Phenom.”

Aaron Judge Being Drafted to the New York Yankees Was a Story in Itself

On page 39, Fischer wrote about the twists and turns of drafting Aaron Judge in the Yanks. In a fact that today will surprise almost all fans after what he has achieved, Aaron Judge was the 32nd pick in the 2013 draft, signifying that 31 times other MLB teams opted to select different players. Since then, the Yankees’ Captain has repaid the franchise’s faith with home runs abound.

With the 26th pick of the draft, the Yankees opted to draft 3rd baseman Eric Jagielo to boost their infield. From then, it was six picks with bated breath, hoping that no team called out the name of Aaron Judge.

The Yankees even offered the slugger a $1.8 million signing bonus, the sixth highest the franchise offered any drafted player. Luckily, the Yankees’ front office didn’t have to take too much flak. The Brian Cashman-led decision panned out, and the slugger would assuredly don pinstripes for his playing career.

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Said Fischer in his book, “Visions of a 6-foot-7 behemoth wearing pinstripes and one day swinging for the fences in the Bronx was an exhilarating thought.” And what a career it has been so far.

Judge Returns to Yankees Lineup

The star slugger, however, has been absent for some time this season as he was spending time on the IL because of a toe injury. But with his return to the lineup, the Bronx Bombers expect to push for the post-season and a chance at the pennant.

The New York Yankees started the season well but have since faltered to fall the ranking in the AL East. Currently locked in a highly competitive AL East led by the Baltimore Orioles and the Tampa Rays, the Yankees will lick their lips to snag an advantage against both teams with series coming up against their AL Rivals.

The Yankees are currently 3.5 games behind a Wild Card Spot in the AL and with much of the season still to play, they will look to make good down the home stretch.

And with the slugger’s return to form aligning with his return to the lineup, the Bronx faithful can certainly get their hopes up.

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