It was a fun Friday for the Yankees, who beat the arch-rival Red Sox 9-6 in the Bronx. As always, Aaron Judge was in the middle of it all. While he didn’t go yard, #99 notched three hits and a steal for New York. Tonight’s contest against Boston could be a bit more tricky with ace Garrett Crochet on the mound. What kind of production should be expected from Judge on Saturday?
Tonight’s Yankees-Red Sox game is a pick ’em (-110), with the over/under set at 7.5 runs. Before the start of Saturday’s matchup, here’s my favorite Aaron Judge player prop bet on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Aaron Judge 1+ total walks (-120)
It’s already been a season to remember for Aaron Judge. The generational talent has slashed an absurd .397/.495/.759 at the plate through 62 games. In addition, the slugger has driven in 21 home runs and 51 RBIs, second-best marks in the American League. A Yankees offense scoring the third-most runs in baseball has given the big man some lineup protection, as well.
New York will have its hands full tonight against Garrett Crochet. The offseason trade acquisition has been a phenomenal addition to an otherwise lackluster Boston rotation. Through 82.0 innings of work, the lefty has recorded a 1.98 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 101 strikeouts. Right now, he’s an early contender for the AL Cy Young. Still, this is the 25-year-old’s first taste of Yankees vs. Red Sox; a letdown start isn’t out of the question.
Judge has limited history in this spot, hitting a single in two career at-bats against Crochet. Still, the outfielder does have a lengthy track record against southpaws. This season, the six-time All-Star has put up an astronomical .436 batting average and .577 on-base percentage against left-handers. If there’s any weakness in Crochet’s repertoire, it’s an occasional lack of control. The fireballer’s 8.0% base on balls ratio ranks in just the 54th percentile per Baseball Savant.
As we’ve seen before, Judge is more than content to take his base. Most of the time, opposing arms are more than willing to comply. A hurler of Crochet’s caliber is unlikely to give out free passes. However, he’d be wise to proceed with caution when pitching to the best hitter on Earth. Following his three-hit performance on Friday, New York’s captain won’t see as many pitches to swing at tonight.
