Yankees Aaron Judge Named to Triple-A Home Run Derby

It was announced Wednesday that Yankees top prospect Aaron Judge will participate in the Triple-A Home Run Derby contest on July 11 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Scranton Wilkes-Barre outfielder Aaron Judge will be one of three International League representatives in the upcoming Triple-A Home Run Derby, along with former Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero and Chris Marrero of the Pawtucket Red Sox. They will compete against Kyle Jensen, Travis Taijeron, and another longtime Yankees farmhand in Rob Segedin.

Judge was named the International League’s Player of the Month for June after hitting .343/.477/.686 last month, while slugging nine home runs. As of Wednesday, he holds the International League lead with 16 longballs, so it’s no surprise to see him selected for the contest.

Jesus Montero spent five years in the Yankees system before being sent to Seattle for starting pitcher Michael Pineda. Ranked as the 12th overall prospect in baseball by MLB.com prior to the 2012 season, Montero has struggled with conditioning and attitude issues and is trying to revive his career in the Blue Jays organization.

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27-year-old corner infielder Rob Segedin may also be a familiar name for Yankees fans, after spending six years in their minor league system. He was traded to Los Angeles this winter and is hitting .299/.377/.554 with 13 home runs for the Oklahoma City Dodgers.

The 6’7 275 lb. Judge possesses mammoth power potential from the right side and regularly puts on impressive shows during batting practice. While the derby features several other notable sluggers, none can match Aaron Judge for pure strength. It will definitely be worth tuning in to see what he can do.

The honor is just another accolade in what has been a breakout month for Judge, who was ranked the 31st overall prospect in baseball prior to the season and second in the Yankees organization. This is his second consecutive season ranked as a Top 100 prospect by MLB.com, landing at number 68 prior to 2015.

On the season, Judge is hitting.267/.361/.479 (144 wRC+). While it’s easy to dismiss his recent performance as a hot streak, he certainly has the pedigree to think this performance is legitimate. The longer he keeps this up, the greater the chance that he forces the hand of the Yankees, giving them no choice but to promote him, especially as the offense continues to struggle.

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The Triple-A Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday, July 11 at 7:00 pm at BB&T Ballpark in Charlotte, North Carolina. Judge can also be seen playing in the Triple-A All-Star Game on June 13.