Aaron Judge was a very highly-touted Home Run Derby participant, but he didn’t let all that anticipation go to his head.
Judge said he wasn’t put off by all the expectation of seeing him hit, and that he felt because he was a rookie, there was actually less pressure on him.
Judge on pre-Derby expectations: "I had no pressure. I'm a rookie; this is my first time doing it."
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 11, 2017
Perhaps Judge is right. The pressure may well have been on Giancarlo Stanton, the defending champion and hometown favorite, who was bounced in the first round.
Judge certainly hit like there was no pressure, winning the contest with one of the most impressive performances in years.
