The Yankees are in the midst of a West Coast road trip, and so far, so good. New York has gone 4-1 over its last five games, in addition to winning eight straight series. As always, Aaron Judge has been carrying the Pinstripes at the plate. What kind of production should we expect from the slugger on Wednesday in Los Angeles?
The Yankees enter tonight as favorites (-155) over the Angels, with the over/under set at 8.5 runs. Before the start of Wednesday’s matchup, here’s my favorite Aaron Judge player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Aaron Judge U 2.5 hits + runs + RBIs (-135)
Aaron Judge was already the most dangerous hitter in baseball. After less than two months of play, that sentence sounds like an understatement. Through 54 games, the two-time MVP is slashing .395/.488/.746 while driving in 18 home runs and 47 RBIs. The slugger’s league-leading 1.234 OPS is on pace to be the highest single-season total in over two decades.
At this point, it’s a shock if Judge doesn’t do something spectacular over the course of nine innings. That’s especially true against an Angels squad coughing up the sixth-most runs per game to opponents (5.17). However, Los Angeles should be stronger than usual on the mound tonight with staff ace Yusei Kikuchi. Through 11 starts this season, the Japanese hurler has recorded a 3.17 ERA and 54 strikeouts for the Halos.
On paper, the Yankees should be licking their lips at the chance to face a left-handed pitcher. This season, New York leads baseball with a .502 slugging percentage against southpaws. With that being said, Kikuchi is no stranger to this matchup. Over his last 27.1 innings of work vs. the Yankees, he’s surrendered seven earned runs (2.30 ERA). The 33-year-old has had success against Judge, holding #99 to five hits over 25 career at-bats (.200 batting average).
Fading one of the greatest hitters in baseball history feels like a fool’s errand. Still, it also means that Judge’s odds are all leaning heavily towards the over. Since May 17th, the outfielder is hitting .306 with three homers, six RBIs and nine runs. Those numbers, while still phenomenal, aren’t quite as good as what we’ve seen for most of the year. Tonight’s hits + runs + RBIs line of 2.5 also gives bettors leeway in case Judge ends up hammering a solo shot. It might be a sweat, but all signs are pointing towards a rare letdown game from New York’s superstar.
