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Aaron Judge Crushes Ball at Yankees Spring Training After Getting Jeered by Fan

Judge happily obliged.

Tim Capurso

Judge making contact during a live batting practice session.
Judge making contact during a live batting practice session. / Screengrab Twitter @BryanHoch
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Aaron Judge said a lot without speaking a word during a live batting practice session at the New York Yankees' spring training site in Tampa, Fla., on Wednesday.

Facing fellow teammate and 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Judge, the reigning AL MVP, took a patient approach, watching two offerings from the Yankees starting pitcher go by without swinging his bat.

That was not good enough for someone, presumably a fan, watching though, as the individual in question could be heard loudly yelling, "Swing the bat!" before the third pitch.

Well, Judge heard that loud and clear and responded perfectly, as he proceeded to crush the next pitch.

Here's video of the moment, courtesy of Bryan Hoch of MLB.com.

Judge enters the '25 season on the heels of one of the greatest seasons by a right-handed power hitter in MLB history. In 158 games played, Judge posted a .322/.458/.701 slash line with 58 home runs, 144 RBI, 133 walks, and 122 runs scored while helping to lead the Yankees to the club's first AL pennant since '09.

If the above video is any indication, Judge looks to be in midseason form.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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