Aaron Judge dominates in Home Run Derby
It was Aaron Judge's night, surpassing even the immense expectations for a rookie with astonishing power.
The Yankees slugger imposed his law in the Home Run Derby, with a display that mirrored the barrage of cannon shots that have defined his rookie season.
Judge defeated the Dominican Miguel Sanó 11-10 in the final round, reaching a maximum distance of 513 feet and displaying the ability to send the ball to all corners of Marlins Park. One of his hits sent the ball several meters above the enormous sculpture with pink flamingos, located in left-center field.
While Sanó broke a sweat in his last round, Judge had fun - one might say he was even yawning - and reached his magical number with two minutes left on the clock.
At 25 years old, Judge emerged as the sensation of the season, attracting all eyes. He is the kind of talent that Major League Baseball is eager to showcase as an iconic figure.
"He is the new Derek Jeter," said Chris Archer, the Rays pitcher, without hesitation when asked if Judge is the face of our sport.
And Judge answered his first assignment in Miami. If the stadium had not been covered, he could have hit the ball out of the park during batting practice - one of his hits didn't count because it hit the retractable roof.
"I get to see him every day and I'm always amazed," said his Yankees teammate Gary Sánchez. "He does phenomenal things."
And now? He will be batting third for the American League team on Tuesday in the All-Star Game, which means he will come up to bat in the top of the first inning against Max Scherzer, the National League starter.