Keith Law released his midseason top 50 prospect rankings list today, the update from his preseason top 100. The lone Yankee representative was Aaron Judge, the 22-year-old outfielder who's made a lot of noise in A-ball this season after an injury prevented him from starting his pro career in 2013. Judge has hit .321/427/.523 in 386 plate appearances, three-quarters of which were spent at Low-A Charleston, with 13 HR, 54 R scored, 61 RBI, and 59 BB. He did not make Law's preseason top 100.
When describing Judge and his performance so far this season, Law had this to say:
"Judge is a beast at 6-7 and 230 (or more) pounds, but with a surprisingly short path to the ball for a guy his size and plenty of loft in his finish for power. He's also quite mobile for someone his size and should be an above-average or better defender in right, with plenty of arm to stay there as well."
Basically touched on all 5 tools in those 2 sentences and had positive comments about all 5. Judge has impressed many with his patient approach and compact swing, potentially raising the ceiling of his hitting tool that had been in question. Right now, he profiles as a guy who will hit for a lot of power, some average, and provide above-average defense, all things the Yankee lineup could use. Law acknowledges this by saying Judge "could be the middle-of-the-order bat the Yankees have tried to develop for years."
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