via Getty
as Rangers during the first inning in game two of a double header at Globe Life Field on October 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. Judge has now set the American League record for home runs in a single season. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
via Getty
as Rangers during the first inning in game two of a double header at Globe Life Field on October 4, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. Judge has now set the American League record for home runs in a single season. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
New York Yankees star Captain Aaron Judge had a great year in 2022. The outfielder started the year by betting on himself to hit 50 homers, just like he did in his rookie year. Not only did he achieve that, but he also went on to hit 12 more, breaking the legendary Roger Maris record. 2022 came with many accolades for All Rise, and a few new records were also set.
By doing so, All Rise managed to pull off an amazing statistic that hasn’t happened in almost a century of MLB history. However, it did not sit right with baseball fans because, apparently, Judge pulling off this statistic was already predicted by MLB.
What are the fans saying about Aaron Judge?
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The fact that the Yankees phenom Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs is not kept hidden from anyone. But, by hitting those 62, he hit 16 more than anyone else in the league; which is now the largest margin in the last 90 years of MLB history. Notably, Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies hit the 2nd most homers [46] during the 2022 regular season.
But, from the last few days, rumors are speculating that the balls thrown to Judge, most of the season, were different from what was thrown to everybody else. Therefore, baseball fans are taking their anger out on this statistic pulled off by the NYY Captain.
It’s easy when you’re getting different balls from the rest of the league.
— TKT (@tkt546) December 31, 2022
You left out the part where there were multiple instances in which juiced balls were used during Yankee games.
— Jonesy (@Jonesy_2292) December 31, 2022
Goldilocks
— Rickster (@Rickster_5) December 31, 2022
Give ohtani and trout those same baseballs they gave judge 😛
— Rengfugi’sRevenge (@LAAPITCHER) December 31, 2022
and no ring to show for
— Jorge Villanueva 2x WS🏆⚾. 🍷 (@JV7x777) January 1, 2023
Goldilocks balls help
— Pizza (@ClaytonnManning) January 1, 2023
And the fact that the homerun balls he hit have been shown to be juiced compared to everyone else’s is just a coincidence 😂🤣
— Mi Noorth (@anoorthoek1) January 1, 2023
Juiced balls staged
— BetGod69 (@BetGod69) January 1, 2023
Juiced balls, PEDs, or other enhancers, whatever. Still takes an enormous amount of talent to target and hit that ball in .425 seconds.
— JPX (@jpx1122) January 1, 2023
The fans chose a sarcastic manner to take their anger out while one of the Twitter users suggested giving the juiced balls to Ohtani and Trout.
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What is a juiced ball?
According to the “juiced ball” idea, Major League Baseball baseballs have been intentionally changed by the league to boost scoring. The notion gained popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s, but it faded as it became evident that the most likely explanation for the increase in the score during that time period was an increase in steroid usage, as shown in the Mitchell Report in 2007.
Watch this story: Ranking the most famous captains of the New York Yankees before Aaron Judge
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The juiced ball argument made a comeback in the late 2010s when there was a dramatic increase in offensive production, particularly home runs. And if rumors are considered true, is the juiced-ball era really back?
Also, do you think that the balls thrown to Judge were juiced? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
