Aaron Judge’s Arm Is A Problem For The Yankees

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TORONTO, ON – JULY 21: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees makes a throw in the outfield during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on July 21, 2025 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)

In the seventh inning of Tuesday’s Game 1 of the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card series, Eric Sogard hit what appeared to be a line-drive single to right field to put runners on the corners with Boston trailing 1-0.

Though the ball was hit into the gap, nothing about it seemed to indicate that Sogard would have a chance to stretch it into a double. Sogard has plus speed, but when Aaron Judge fielded the ball, Sogard had just rounded first base. He had to run roughly 85 feet before Judge could throw a ball 170 feet.

In any kind of normal situation, Sogard likely would have slammed on the brakes. But the Red Sox know what anyone scouting the Yankees in the playoffs will know: Aaron Judge can’t really throw since returning from a flexor strain injury.

Judge’s throw to second base was just 73.2 mph. That meant it only carried 137 feet in the air, then bounced the rest of the way. Sogard just beat the throw. That meant that when Masataka Yoshida singled to center, Sogard was able to score instead of just advancing to third. The Red Sox got no more hits in the inning, so Sogard likely would have been stranded at third. Instead, he scored the go-ahead run.

This is a perfect example of how little moments can change playoff series. It’s not Judge’s fault. When he went down with a flexor strain in late July, the Yankees’ offense understandably suffered. He hurried back, and his bat has been the driving force in the Yankees’ run to the playoffs. He still fields his position solidly, as he showed to catch a screaming line drive from Nathaniel Lowe to end that seventh inning.

But he can’t throw because his arm isn’t healthy.

Pre-injury, Judge maxed out at 95.3 mph. He had 11 throws of 90+ mph, 25 throws of 85+ mph and 42 throws of 80+ mph. He could regularly reach back to throw a ball 200+ feet if needed.

Post-injury, Judge’s hardest throw is an 85.8 mph throw on Sept. 24. He only has one other 80+ mph throw. More often, even on sacrifice flies and throws to try to catch runners going to second, he’s unable to uncork a throw harder than the mid 70s. His 73.2 mph throw was actually his fourth-hardest since the IL stint. He’s twice failed to top 70 mph on a throw on a sacrifice fly.

To put that in perspective, only five of 195 qualified MLB outfielders in 2025 averaged under 80 mph with their throws. Daulton Varsho (73.7 mph) was the only one to average under 77.

Ideally, Judge’s ailing arm would mean he would DH to avoid having a liability in right field on key throws. But Giancarlo Stanton’s defense and risk of injury if he moves to the outfield narrows the Yankees†options. Judge is a rangy right fielder with a poor arm. Stanton is a range-limited outfielder who has struggled to stay healthy when he plays in the outfield regularly.

So, Judge will keep playing right field. He is the best hitter in baseball and one of the best the game has ever seen. He’s also a good fielder with an above-average arm when he’s healthy. But from now until the end of the playoffs, his throws from the outfield will be a liability.

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