Yankees manager Aaron Boone was stunned by Aaron Judge's 1.100-plus OPS, roughly .200 higher than the next-best in the majors. Judge has 41 home runs and a .321 batting average, leading the American League and chasing a batting title that paired with 40-plus homers would be a rare achievement last accomplished by Miguel Cabrera in 2012-13. Only three American League hitters and two National League hitters are batting .300 or better. Boone noted modern bullpens and pitching patterns make hitting harder, but Judge's production remains exceptional despite a 20-point average drop after returning from the injured list.
"He's just an unbelievable player and a guy that I really haven't felt has been hot at any point in the season, like he has in some years," Boone said of Judge. "That's what's remarkable. The year he's putting up, I feel like he's grinding through it."
"I think it's harder to hit now," Boone said. "With bullpens the way they are, you're not facing guys typically three and four times through an order. I just look at it through my eyes here now to what I used to face. It's quite a bit different in my opinion."
"It is unbelievable," Boone said. "It's just more testament to how good he is."
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