Rookies Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger are making their mark with homer after homer.
When Aaron Judge dispatched Justin Bour in the first round of the Home Run Derby in Miami, he gave Bour a brief hug and pat on the back. When Judge beat Miguel Sano in the finals, he was doused with water and Gatorade by his celebrating teammates.
But when Judge beat Cody Bellinger in the semifinals, the 25-year-old Yankees rookie star did something different. As soon as Judge blasted his 507-foot moonshot to vanquish Bellinger, he made a point to walk over to his fellow rookie slugger, wrap his arms around him and give him a message.
“I just said, ‘Way to put on a show, man. That was awesome,’ ” Judge said. “It’s pretty cool watching him develop this year. When he first came up, what he’s done in this first half, what he did in the Home Run Derby, he’s a special player and a special kid.”
As for Bellinger?
“(Judge) is special,” the 22-year-old Dodgers rookie said. “He was (mis-hitting) balls and putting them where I was hitting them. He’s going to be fun to watch for a lot of years.”
Two of the game’s brightest young stars collided that night in Miami and provided a glimpse of the future. They have each taken the game by storm in the nation’s two largest media markets, hitting home runs at unprecedented rates and propelling their teams to new heights.
Judge and Bellinger met each other for the first time in person the night of the home run Derby. If all goes according to plan, they will be seeing a lot of each other in the future at marketing shoots, All-Star Games and, quite possibly, the World Series.
This story is from the August 04 2017 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 04 2017 edition of Baseball America.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
NOBODY'S PERFECT
No. 1 prospect Jackson Holliday has one flaw in an otherwise airtight profile
ORGANIZATION REPORTS
At nearly every level of his professional career, outfielder Colton Cowser has taken time to acclimate. His major league debut last season was no different.
ORGANIZATION TALENT RANKINGS
For the second consecutive year, the Orioles enter the season with the best farm system in baseball.
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN WITH NEW ROSTER LIMITS
No one can fully predict what will happen with the reduced 165-player minor league roster limits, but baseball officials weighed in with predictions for 2024, some of which we heard repeatedly.
NO MORE SLACK IN THE SYSTEM
The in domestic minor leagues creates consternation for farm directors
INTERNATIONAL TREASURES
Why MLB teams value foreign professionals more than ever
HIGH-FLYING BIRDS
Learning from past success and failure in Houston, Mike Elias and his united front office remade the Orioles into winners— and they got there ahead of schedule
ARIZONA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Early promotions of star prospects led to a bit of a down season for the Rookie-level Arizona Complex League.
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE TOP 10
Even before the Rookie-level Florida Complex League season began, scouts who saw extended spring training gushed over the Yankees' talent, starting with shortstop Roderick Arias and 6-foot7 pitchers Henry Lalane and Carlos Lagrange. Outfielder John Cruz mashed 10 home runs as a 17-year-old.
SALAS COULD BE SPECIAL
When Ethan Salas arrived in the California League on May 30, he immediately displayed talent well beyond his years.