ALL RISE!

My head explodes in anger whenever people try to imply Aaron Judge is just a home run hitter; anyone who watches with any regularity knows he's a 5-tool player, so I love this Tweet showing him absolutely killing it in center field last night. 🤗🤗🕺🕺 - XMASTIME

Looks like the Universe once is again is slowly catching up to me, this time vis-a-vis someone at the New York Times - or, as I call it, The Times - who's obviously a big Xmastime fan deciding to ride on my coattails re: Judge being a great outfielder:

Until a freakish crash into a wall at Dodger Stadium resulted in a torn ligament in his right big toe, he had elevated his game to the point that his nightly highlight reels were nearly as likely to feature a great catch as they were to show a tape-measure blast.

From 2016 through the day he landed on the I.L., Judge was second in the majors with 58 defensive runs saved in right field despite being only 11th in innings played, according to Sports Info Solutions. Only Mookie Betts, a six-time Gold Glover, had more.Nineteen of Judge’s runs saved were based on his arm, a total that ranks first among right fielders. 

“For me, just getting a high-five from your pitcher,” he said of what he takes away from a great play. “When you come back into the dugout, something like that is always the best. There’s someone who appreciates you laying out for a ball in the gap, robbing a home run or throwing a guy out. Just getting a little gesture from a pitcher because I know they’re locked in on the game.”

He added: “To see them taking the time to thank you for that and get locked back in, that’s what it’s all about.”