Anyone with even the slightest interest in baseball knows one thing: Aaron Judge is the game’s scariest hitter. Postseason struggles aside, New York’s face of the franchise is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Thus far, he’s leading Major League Baseball in home runs (six), RBIs (20) and slugging percentage (.733). The Yankees will take on the Royals tonight in a rematch of last postseason’s four-game series. Can KC’s pitching slow down #99?
New York enters as favorites (-115) vs. Kansas City on Tuesday, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs. Before the start of tonight’s American League showdown, here’s my favorite Aaron Judge player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Aaron Judge under 2.5 hits + runs + RBIs (-130)
As previously mentioned, it’s difficult to call Aaron Judge human at this point. The two-time MVP is on a generational run, putting up numbers that baseball fans haven’t seen since Barry Bonds. Going back to 2021, the 32-year-old leads the league in homers (202), RBIs (468), and OPS (1.061).
With that being said, there are a handful of pitchers that have had success when facing the Yankees’ superstar. That includes Michael Wacha, tonight’s starter for the Royals. In 18 career plate appearances vs. Judge, he’s held the outfielder to just one single and three walks.
It’s not just Judge that struggles against Wacha. Kansas City’s right-hander has recorded a 2.97 ERA over 11 career appearances vs. New York. That lack of hitting across the lineup should limit the six-time All-Star’s capacity to drive in or score runs tonight.
It’s never wise to get too confident when fading a generational talent. Still, all statistics are pointing towards a letdown for Judge on Tuesday. Under 2.5 hits + runs + RBIs offers security; even if the big man does damage, it will take a terrific individual game to hit this over. Given Wacha’s history of handling the slugger, this is one of the rare instances where that isn’t likely.
