OPINION: New York Yankees Should Bat Aaron Judge Third in Lineup in 2023

The New York Yankees should consider dropping 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge in the batting order to the number three spot, Jack Vita writes. Jack believes the Yankees should take a more traditional approach with their lineup in 2023, batting their best player third and getting Judge more at bats with runners on base.

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is coming off of one of the greatest single-seasons a player has ever had in the history of Major League Baseball.

In an era where pitching has been dominant, Judge set a new American League home run record in 2022 with 62 long balls. He also led the American League in RBI with 131, and came just six points shy of winning the second American League Triple Crown since 1967.

In hopes of getting him more at bats, as well as tries at breaking Roger Maris' longstanding home run record, Yankees manager Aaron Boone batted Judge in the leadoff spot for the final month of the regular season. Judge opened the postseason in the leadoff spot, but was eventually dropped down to the two-hole, which is where he spent most of the regular season. Judge batted leadoff 34 times in 2022. 112 times, he batted second. Only seven times, he batted third.

The no. 3 spot in a lineup used to be reserved for a team's best hitter, with the thought being, 'We want our big bat up with runners on base.'

Over the last decade however, we've seen a shift in strategy. Now, teams are batting their biggest bat second, with the intention of getting that player more at bats over the course of a long, 162-game season.

The Cleveland Guardians, however, have taken a more traditional approach. In all of the 157 games the club's best hitter Jose Ramirez played in, the third baseman batted third. Ramirez finished fourth in AL MVP voting in 2022, slashing .280/.355/.869 with 29 home runs and 126 RBI. Ramirez had just five fewer RBI than Judge did.

Do you want to know how many more plate appearances Judge had in 2022 than Ramirez? How many more at bats did the Yankees receive out of Judge by batting him 1 or 2 in the lineup, instead of 3?

The answer: 11. Judge made 696 plate appearances. Ramirez made 685.

Judge also had 31 fewer official at bats, as he walked more. With first base empty, clubs began pitching around Judge late in the season to keep him from beating their team.

Judge may have seen more total at bats, but Ramirez saw more at bats with runners on base. Ramirez made 202 plate appearances with runners in scoring position, while Judge made 153. The Guardians took a quality over pure quantity approach with their big bat, and it allowed them to max out on Ramirez's offensive ouput.

The Yankees could do the same thing in 2023, if they so choose. If the Yankees were to bat Judge third and place two guys in front of him that get on base at a high rate (Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu?), Judge would have more RBI opportunities this season, and the Yankees could score even more runs than they did a season ago.

The Yankees should favor quality at bats over quantity of at bats, when it comes to their superstar, and other teams would be wise to follow suit.

The other problem with Judge batting with no runners on base — as he does when he bats leadoff — is it gives teams a chance to pitch around him. If Judge is pitched-around, it limits the amount of damage he can do to an opposing team.

In 234 at bats with runners on base in 2023, Judge hit even better (.316) than he did with the bases empty (.307 in 336 at bats).

Judge can be an even more dangerous hitter if the Yankees drop him to the three-spot in the lineup in 2023.

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