"I don't think Aaron Judge can" - When Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis named MLB stars who could win a hypothetical dunk contest

Six-foot-seven, 282-pound New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge is capable of pretty much anything he would be required to do on a baseball field. However, according to LA Dodgers infielder Mookie Betts, winning a basketball dunk contest is not something the Yankees outfielder would be able to pull off.

Speaking on an episode of the "On Base" podcast in September 2024, Betts opined that Judge could easily dunk due to his size, but looked like a player who would be more suited to playing as a center.

"I don't think [Aaron] Judge can win a dunk contest, I think he's huge, and can dunk a lot, but I don't think he would win. He'd probably be a center," Mookie Betts said at 35:00 (via YouTube channel 'Bleacher Report').

While listing players who would do well in such a competition, Fernando Tatis Jr. named two stars known for their athletic prowess — Minnesota Twins star Byron Buxton and Cincinnati Reds talent Elly De La Cruz.

"Probably [Byron] Buxton.. who else, freak athlete? Elly [De La Cruz]," Fernando Tatis Jr. said [34:30].

Aaron Judge showcases remarkable athleticism and outstanding defense against the Cubs

Playing the Chicago Cubs at home on Friday, the New York Yankees won 11-0. Cody Bellinger deservedly took most of the plaudits after a monstrous night at the plate, hitting three home runs.

Aaron Judge also played an important role in the win. However, this was a rare game where his defensive work outshone his offensive contributions.

Judge did get an important hit at the plate, a sacrifice fly to score the opening run of the game. In addition, three outstanding catches in the fourth and eighth innings, the first of which robbed Pete Crow-Armstrong of a home run, helped his team shut out their opponents on the night.

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Aaron Judge's outstanding work in the field helped starting pitcher Carlos Rodon pitch eight scoreless innings, which would have certainly boosted the Florida native's confidence. Rodon came into this game after a poor outing against the New York Mets, where he gave up six earned runs in five innings.

About the author

Raghav Mehta is a baseball journalist at Sportskeeda awaiting results for a Bachelor's in Journalism from Delhi University. He enjoys highlighting the key battles between players at different stages of the game and analyzing the decisive moments upon which they hinge.

One of Raghav's favorite moments, which underscores this, was the Shohei Ohtani vs. Mike Trout clash in the 2023 WBC, where two of baseball's best players faced off against each other in the 9th inning. With the score 3-2 to Japan, Shohei eventually got the strikeout, which was absolute cinema.

Raghav is a Baltimore Orioles fan and is enjoying watching such an exciting young team compete at the top in a very competitive division.

Raghav has loved watching sports for as long as he can remember and realized he was pretty decent at writing his thoughts down at around the age of 14. Combining the two meant he had something he would enjoy doing every day, and he had identified that well before going to college.

Aside from work, Raghav enjoys playing sports, working out and watching movies.

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Edited by Parag Jain