New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge Defends Slumping Teammate
New York Yankees star hitter Aaron Judge is more than just an offensive powerhouse for the Pinstripes: he also serves as the team’s captain. Judge’s leadership chops shone brightly this weekend when he came to the defense of a teammate going through a slump.
Oswald Peraza was once the Yankees’ top prospect, but has had a difficult time this season producing on offense. His batting average is currently a .167 in 72 at-bats, with only 11 runs on the board and 9 RBIs. It’s not the first time Peraza has taken a dip; he was reassigned to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, last summer. The team acquired Jazz Chisholm Jr. at the same time, though Chisholm Jr. is now injured and awaiting return.
Judge gave Peraza a vote of confidence this past weekend after the third baseman hit an RBI double against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday, jumpstarting the Yankees’ killer 13-1 win.
“Give him a chance to play every single day,” Judge said, via The Athletic. “Good things are going to happen.”
Earlier this month, Peraza discussed his methods for improvement with The Athletic, noting that he was spending his time not playing learning from his teammates, which surely include Judge, who leads the American League in runs, home runs, batting average and on base percentage.
“I’m getting a lot of experience,” Peraza said. “But if I’m not playing every day, I’m watching the game. A lot of my teammates are superstars, and I talk with my teammates every day.”
Despite his struggles and the looming return of a superior player who would be sure to cut into his time on the field, Peraza reaffirmed his commitment to getting better and delivering results for New York.
“I want to play every day for the New York Yankees,” Peraza said. “I can’t control that. I practice every day. I want to play every day. For sure, I want to play here for a long time.”
