Yankees’ Aaron Judge Open to Playing Left Field
Aaron Judge is ready to add to his limited experience in left field. His manager just needs to give him the go-ahead.
A day after the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reported that Aaron Boone is considering using the reigning MVP in left, Judge signed off on the idea. Deploying Judge in such a way would allow the Yankees to occasionally put Giancarlo Stanton in right, which is less demanding at Yankee Stadium. Boone would also have more flexibility with the designated hitter position while still getting both sluggers in the lineup.
“If we need to get Big G in right field at Yankee Stadium, put me in left. I don’t mind it,’’ Judge said Tuesday, per The Record’s Pete Caldera. “I don’t mind switching around so we can have (center fielder Harrison) Bader and me and Big G out there.’’
Stanton also signaled he was alright with the idea on Tuesday.
Boone, meanwhile, wasn’t ready to make any commitments.
“I’m open to things like that, especially in the home ballpark,” the skipper told reporters. “So we’ll see. It’s something that I would say I’m at least considering on the table.”
Boone added that there are currently no set plans for Judge to play left field this spring, but that doesn't mean he won’t. Judge has only played seven professional games in left field, all of which came at Triple-A back in 2016. However, the Yankees captain performed admirably when thrust into center field last season, so he should theoretically be able to handle the spacious left side of Yankee Stadium’s outfield.
The Yankees could also put Judge back in center and move Bader to left when they want to put Stanton in right and open the DH spot.
How often the Yankees use such alignments remains to be seen, if they use them at all. While Boone has stated the possibility of getting “creative” with his outfield in 2023, the expectation is that Judge will spend most of his time in right while Bader mans center. Stanton, who played just 38 games in the outfield last year, is going to DH more often than not. Aaron Hicks and Oswaldo Cabrera are competing to be the Yankees’ regular left fielder; Hicks has the edge with spring training games right around the corner.
But using Judge in left would help the Yankees maximize their lineup – and give them added versatility at a position that has some questions marks.
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