Aaron Judge In A Class By Himself In 2024

 No matter how you look at it Aaron Judge this season is a lock for the MVP in the American League. The only way he is not winning it is if he gets injured. He has amassed 41 home runs and over 100 RBI's already this season.

This season I have been able to catch some Yankees game and what Judge is doing is very impressive. He is approaching Barry Bonds type numbers this season. Teams are starting to get afraid of him so they are walking him intentionally, so they won't have to pitch to him. That's probably the best compliment you can give any player.

The New York Yankees will go as far as Aaron Judge can take them, but he will need help. As great as Judge has played this season he will need others to step up in the lineup. If that doesn't happen teams will continue to pitch around him just like they did Barry Bonds.

Aaron Judge will continue his torrid streak, but I don't know if it will be enough to get the Yankees a pennant. Judge wants more then home runs and MVP's he wants to win championships. Every year the window closes more so he knows he needs to get them now before it's too late.

Why Did The Yankees Trade For Jazz Chisholm?

The Yankees made a splash on the trade market, but for many not exactly the splash they wanted. New York sent some prospects to the Marlins for outfielder Jazz Chisholm which to many people was a shock. For me it wasn't really a shock as the Yankees had a plan in this trade. Let's take a look at why the Yankees traded for Chisholm. 

Now there are probably many reasons the Yankees did, but here is my first impressions of why they made the trade. Right now the Yankees are relying on Aaron Judge and Juan Soto for most of there offense. Chisholm is a Micky Rivers type player. I don't think he is as good as Rivers was, but both players very similar. They both play the outfield with good speed and can get you hits when you need it or a stolen base.

Jazz Chisholm should fit in well with the Yankees lineup and they can give Soto and Judge a break from outfield play as well. Rest down the stretch will be important for playoff teams. Many people will hate this trade, but I think the Yankees did it to help Soto and Judge out. Only time will tell if it was a good trade or a bust.

Brewers Have No Answers Against Yankees In Back to Back Routs

 The Milwaukee this weekend has a series with the New York Yankees and it did not end well. The Brewers suffered back to back losses to the Yankees giving up 30 runs. Is this the end of the Brewers hot start? Or is it just rough patch the Brewers must overcome. 

Everyone talked about this series as a measuring stick for the Brewers, but I looked at it in a different way, It gave the young Brewers a chance to see a veteran team with some young stars who were very good. The New York Yankees are a very good hitting team and in the off-season they improved their pitching as well.

Against a Brewers staff that has struggled at times the Yankees took batting practice in the last two games. This is a learning experience that will make the Brewers better down the road. You  will have games like this and you lose and move on from it. Pitching is a work in progress for the Brewers so there will be growing pains. 

Many fans are upset at the poor pitching performances, but it's a long season and there will be games like this as a team. The key is just improve over the season and the Brewers will be fine. There will be ups and downs, so this series does not worry me one bit.

MLB 2023 Season Preview Buckle Up The Ride Will Be Wild

 Every year it seems MLB seasons get wilder and wilder in the 2023 season promises to be just as crazy. We have the New York Yankees and the New York Mets as two of the better teams in Major League Baseball, but that does not guarantee any things these days. It seems there always is a team that comes out of left field that no one really considered and that could happen again this year.

The New York Mets are loaded this season, but can they put it all together is the question. Sometimes getting all the pieces to fit into place can take some time. The San Diego Padres are another team that has a very potent lineup that could give teams a lot of problems. Then you head over to the American League East and all of those teams are good and getting better it seems. This is why it is hard to handicap a winner in the 2023 MLB season.

Hold on to your hats this season is going to be wild. There will be plenty of drama along with good pitching and defensive gems to see. Who is standing at the end of this race is hard to predict. It will be fun and exciting to see who is left standing at the end of this journey.

Why Milwaukee Needs To Pull Trigger On Josh Hader Deal

Milwaukee has been listening to offers for Josh Hader from various teams, but mostly the Yankees. Many people want the Brewers to keep Hader and keep him in the closer role for Milwaukee. Now I am not one of those people. I do like what Josh brings to the table, but for me, it's about what you do when it really counts.

Hader for me has blown some games that meant a lot to the Brewers which is something they cannot afford going forward. When you are in such a small market and don't have the cap space to spend every game is important. In 2019 he had 7 blown saves which aren't a lot, but his ERA in the one playoff game was 18.00. That is not acceptable. When the Brewers really needed him to come through and save the game he could not do it. Hence the Brewers were eliminated from the playoffs.

Considering that the Brewers really do not like to spend money trading Hader makes the most sense. Getting younger is key for the Brewers which will help them over the long haul. With Braun getting older and Cain as well Milwaukee needs to make plans for the future.

An ideal situation would be to keep Hader, but if you can get a lot for him you must move him. This way you can help the team over the long term and still be competitive.

Where Does A-Rod Rank Among The Game's Elite

Alex Rodriguez has now gotten 3,000 hits and over 500 home runs and owns many major league records, but where does he rank among the elite. This is an interesting question as you must look at many different things when you talk about A-Rod. One of the things you really do not need to look at is his numbers. They are some of the best around, but many people want to put an asterisk around those numbers, and I guess they should have the right to do that considering A-Rod's past.

Everyone knows A-Rod has used steroids and have been suspended for it a good amount of games. Now I think this should factor into it, but the question is how much of a factor. It is hard not to consider him an elite player as he showed what he could do before steroids. As a Mariner and a Rangers play he put up some very good numbers. He continued that as he moved to the Yankees. The real question which is anyones guess is when he started using steroids. No one really has an answer for that one.

The way I look at it is A-Rod was an elite prospect and would be an elite player no matter what. Taking it all away because of some mistakes is just not fair. I look for A-Rod to get the benefit of the doubt over time. He will get into the Hall Of Fame eventually it will just take some time for it to happen.

Derek Jeter To Retire After 2014 Season He Will Be Missed

Now I will admit I do have mixed feelings about the 2014 campaign being Derek Jeter's last as a New York Yankee. Now I have never been a Yankees fan or even really a Derek Jeter fan. I must admit though he is one of the best that has played that position. Jeter during his career has made some amazing plays. My favorite is his flip at home plate which can be seen below. It was a awesome play.

Now that was not the only play he made during his great career. If I showed all the highlights I would be here forever. Jeter was a one of a kind player that only comes along once in awhile. I have a lot of respect for what he has done on and off the field. He has kept his nose clean and has always did the right things. Many players could learn from him. Derek Jeter will be missed by baseball and the average baseball fan. 

Alex Rodriguez Still Makes Headlines With Home Run And More Drama

Alex Rodriguez is one player that you either hate or love. Last night in Boston A-Rod was hit by a pitch from Ryan Dempster and that set off the fireworks for an eventful night in Beantown. Boston could not handle A-Rod as he hit a home run to help ignite the New York Yankees to another win. There are many things that people don't like about A-Rod, but he does make things very interesting to say the least.

No matter what anyone says about Alex Rodriguez he seems to do well in the spotlight. It should be interesting to see how he does rest of the season or at least until is hearing is held. I think there is more to the suspension then we know, but it will all come out. For now though A-Rod gives us plenty of drama to watch, write, and even talk about in the coming weeks. Last night was another vintage A-Rod performance which he seems to love to give when everyone things you got him down.

Ichrio Suzuki Closing In On Pete Rose's Hit Record

Now baseball fans might not like it, but a foreign born individual could eventually have the all-time hit record. Pete Rose owns it right now, but Ichrio Suzuki is closing in on 4,000 hits and if he plays at least two more years I see him breaking the record. Now I love Pete Rose, but if anyone breaks the record it would be great to see Ichrio do it. He is a guy who does things the right way and plays the game hard all the time.

When he first came over to America to play in the MLB I never thought he had a chance to break the record. I was wrong as it looks like he will break it in a few years. Ichiro Suzuki has paved the way for future foreign players and I think we could start seeing a lot more as fans are more accepting to them now. Ichrio Suzuki should break the record barring some injury or something else beyond his control. I think him breaking the record will be good for baseball as records are meant to be broken.

Derek Jeter Eyeing Opening Day Start

Derek Jeter is expecting to be in the starting lineup coming Opening Day 2013, and I would not bet against him. The Yankees captain has the willpower and dedication to get that done no matter what the odds are. Jeter has been one of the best Yankees ever to play and he may be on the downswing of his career, but he is still a valuable contributor to the team.

Even though he had ankle surgery look for the Yankees captain on the field when they say play ball. He has been working hard to get back and no matter his age of 38, he will be a vital part of the Yankees success this year. His biggest challenge is to get back into baseball shape and the sky is the limit for him after that. He will play a limited number of games this spring as the Yankees do not want to push him to much during spring training. Look for Derek Jeter at a ballpark near you soon.

Can Derek Jeter Catch Pete Rose Hit Record?

I will be the first one to admit I never thought we would be talking about Derek Jeter and Pete Rose in the same breath, but we happen to be. Jeter has shown that he can still play the game of baseball at a very high level. As Jeter gets closer to 4,000 hits people will be talking about Pete Rose's hit record. By personal opinion this is one record that I think will never be broken.

Derek Jeter is 38 years old and besides shortstop there really is no other spot for Jeter. He would have to leave the New York Yankees to move to second base to extend his career. I do not look for Jeter to leave the Yankees. He wants to play his whole career as a New York Yankee, so beating the record that Rose has in place would be very tough. It is fun to talk about and watch, but it looks like Rose's hit record is safe for a number of years.

Mariano Rivera Notches His 600th Save

No matter what anyone tells you 600 saves is a big milestone even if Mariano Rivera does not want to admit to it. Not many people in baseball history can claim 600 saves. In fact, only Rivera and Trevor Hoffman can actually make that claim. Rivera has been a model of consistency for the Yankees and he will tie Hoffman's record of 601 probably the next time he pitches. Rivera is a lock for the Hall Of Fame and may go down as the best reliever ever in the game of baseball.

Most Saves In MLB History

Trevor Hoffman 601
Mariano Rivera 600
Lee Smith 478
John Franco 424
Billy Wagner 422