"Blows my mind that teams in contention are still pitching to Aaron Judge" - MLB podcaster advises playoff contention teams against pitching to in-form slugger Aaron Judge

MLB managers are paid a lot of money to work out that they should not pitch to Aaron Judge. Unfortunately, most of them have yet to figure it out. The New York Yankees slugger is running away in the home run rankings and doesn't seem to be slowing down. He is now on pace to reach 65 home runs this season, a number that would shatter the previous American League record.

Judge is without a doubt the hottest hitter in the league. He has 55 home runs in 134 games this season. With the Yankees struggle for consistency on the offensive side, Judge carries the team on his shoulders. He is able to hit all over the park, put the ball in play, and most importantly, hit with power. It begs the question: Why are teams still pitching to Aaron Judge?

"Blows my mind that teams in contention are still pitching to Aaron Judge. You are simply begging for a world of hurt and he delivers that almost every time." - Jared Carrabis

Podcast host Jared Carrabis made the observation in a recent tweet. It's mind-boggling that teams in the playoff race continue to pitch to Judge. Even in low pressure situations, pitchers feel they can get one over on him.

The four-time All-Star has a .302/.408/.684 slash line for the season. He has already amassed 55 home runs and 118 RBIs. Let's not forget his league-leading 1.092 OPS.

Judge currently leads the league in home runs, RBIs, OPS, slugging, and runs scored. He leads the Yankees in almost every major hitting category. At this stage, it is astounding that managers are not working around Judge.

Aaron Judge has 6 HRs in his last 10 games for the New York Yankees

Aaron Judge rounds the bases on a 450-foot solo home run in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.

Injuries to Giancarlo Stanton, Anthony Rizzo, and Matt Carpenter add further evidence that Judge should be given a free pass. Without a power-hitting core, the Yankees have relied on subpar Gleyber Torres and Josh Donaldson to hit behind Judge in the lineup. Teams can easily walk Judge and face two sub-.240 hitters.

"Aaron Judge hit his 55th HR today. It's the 4th 55-HR season in history by a Yankees player (Roger Maris, Babe Ruth 2x). That ties the Cubs (Hack Wilson, Sammy Sosa 3x) for the most by any franchise. Only 9 other active MLB franchises have had a player with a 55-HR season." - ESPN Stats & Info

To put Judge's season into perspective, next on the home run list is Kyle Schwarber with 36. He has a whole 50% more home runs over the next best power hitter.

Aaron Judge has only 29 fewer home runs than the entire Detroit Tigers roster.

With the remainder of the Yankees team hitting so poorly, walking Judge is a no-brainer. It will be interesting to see how teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers approach him in the coming weeks. Both teams are in playoff contention and would be wise to tread carefully versus the AL MVP favorite.