Aaron Judge is big, almost exceedingly so -- the Fresno State product stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 255 pounds. After turning down the Oakland Athletics as a 31st-round pick out of high school in 2010, Judge joined Fresno State and put up some very solid numbers, hitting .345/.451/.529 with 18 home runs. As you might expect from someone of his size, has considerable potential as a power hitter. Still, he's considered relatively raw at the plate due to his form, and has a lot to prove to potential MLB teams.
Still, Judge is competent in all areas and has entered the discussion as a late-first round selection. He's a good runner once he gets moving and has a solid arm and there are few doubts about his ability to continue playing in the outfield in MLB. Seeing him called at the back-end of the round wouldn't be surprising at all.
Vital statistics
| Aaron Judge | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pos | High School / College | Consensus Rank |
| OF | Fresno State (junior) | 1st round (Athletics) |
| B/T | Birthdate (age) | Height / Weight |
| R/R | 4/26/1992 (21) | 6'7" / 255 |
What they're saying
- Keith Law, ESPN: "When scouts reach for 'Blake Griffin' when they need a physical comparable, you know you're a big baseball player. Judge has raw power but a somewhat short swing that generates more contact than big flies in games."
- ESPN Scouts Inc: "He has 30-homer potential for a team willing to overlook what might be 150 strikeouts a year, which would still be an above-average player, but the fact that he hasn't shown a ton of power during games so far is a minor red flag."
- Jonathan Mayo, MLB.com: "Judge has patience at the plate, runs pretty well and has a strong arm, all the tools for a future right fielder. How he performed during his junior season with the bat was going to determine where he lands on Draft boards. That performance was a bit up-and-down but a team that saw him on a good day -- and put stock in his strong Cape performance -- might be willing to gamble he'll hit enough to tap into that power at the next level."