New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone shut down speculation of AL MVP Aaron Judge potentially seeing action at first base this season while talking with reporters on Wednesday.
Judge was filmed fielding grounders and taking throws at first base on Tuesday, prompting the rumors. The AL home run king hasn’t played first base since high school and Boone said he “doesn’t expect” to see him in the infield this year, but perhaps it could happen “five years from now.”
MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch reported Tuesday that Judge, who was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 2010 as a first baseman and pitcher out of Linden High School, took part in the workout at New York’s Player Development complex, where he “sported a first baseman’s glove and provided a 6-foot-7 target for shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and second baseman DJ LeMahieu.”
Hoch called Judge’s appearance at first base simply a “one-day cameo,” however, and said that Boone notified him in a text message there was “nothing there.”
Per Hoch, when the four-time All-Star outfielder chose not to sign with the Athletics and instead attended Fresno State University, the school already had the NCAA’s leading home run hitter at the time (Jordan Ribera) playing first base. Bulldogs head coach Mike Batesole decided to move Judge to the outfield, so he could “run down a fly ball as well as he’d tracked football passes at Linden High.”
Judge played wide receiver for the Linden High School football team, as well as center for the basketball team.
Judge’s good friend — Anthony Rizzo — is a four-time Gold Glove Award winner and is expected to remain the team’s starting first baseman. Rizzo appeared at first base in 120 of his 130 games during the 2022 regular season, while fellow four-time Gold Glove Award winner DJ LeMahieu played 35 games at the position in 2022.
