Fresno State Athletics
Aaron Judge set for All-Star Week
7/9/2017 9:00:00 PM | Baseball
Tune-in to ESPN at 5 p.m. on Monday to watch Aaron Judge compete in the 2017 Home Run Derby
FRESNO, Calif. – Can he do it again? Former Bulldog and now New York Yankees' rookie phenom Aaron Judge is set to compete in the MLB Home Run Derby on Monday, and will start in the 88th MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday.
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Prior to his junior season donning his No. 29 he wore as a Bulldog from 2011-13, Judge won the 2012 TD Ameritrade College Baseball Home Run Derby in front of 22,403 people on July 3, 2012 at Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park.
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Judge launched 16 home runs in three rounds, including four straight and the bonus ball when down to his final out for a total of eight home runs in the deciding round. He brought current Bulldogs' assistant coach Ryan Overland to Omaha to be his pitcher for the event.
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On Monday, starting at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN, at Miami Marlins Park, Judge will be on stage against the likes of the defending derby champion Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins), Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers), Mike Moustakas (Kansas City Royals), Miguel Sano (Minnesota Twins), Charlie Blackmon (Colorado Rockies), Justin Bour (Miami Marlins) and Gary Sanchez (New York Yankees).
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The competitors are seeded 1-8, in a single-elimination bracket system, with three rounds total. In each bracket, the higher seed hits second. In the first round, No. 1 Stanton faces No. 8 Sanchez, No. 2 Judge faces No. 7 Bour, No. 3 Bellinger faces No. 6 Blackmon and No. 4 Moustakas faces No. 5 Sano.
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Despite Judge owning the MLB lead in home runs at the break with 30, he was slotted the second-seed with Stanton returning to defend his 2016 title. The rest of the group was decided by home runs during the current season.
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Midsummer Classic
As the leading vote-getter in the American League (4,488,702), Judge will be the first Bulldog to make an appearance in an MLB All-Star game since pitcher Bobby Jones in 1997. Jones got his shot with an appearance in the eighth inning of that game and with that shot he closed the frame with back-to-back strike outs against Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire.Â
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Judge will be the first Yankees outfielder to start since Curtis Granderson in 2012, will be the first Yankees player to start before age 26 since Willie Randolph did so at 23 in 1977, and is the first Yankees rookie position player to make the All-Star Game since Hideki Matsui in 2003.
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Prior to the break, Judge hit his major league-leading 30th home run on Friday to surpass the Yankees' rookie record set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936. DiMaggio hit 29 homers in 637 at-bats in 1936. Judge reached No. 30 in his 293rd at-bat. The only rookie in major-league history with more home runs before the All-Star break is McGwire, who hit 33 in the first half in 1987 for the Athletics.
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"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160
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Prior to his junior season donning his No. 29 he wore as a Bulldog from 2011-13, Judge won the 2012 TD Ameritrade College Baseball Home Run Derby in front of 22,403 people on July 3, 2012 at Omaha's TD Ameritrade Park.
Â
Judge launched 16 home runs in three rounds, including four straight and the bonus ball when down to his final out for a total of eight home runs in the deciding round. He brought current Bulldogs' assistant coach Ryan Overland to Omaha to be his pitcher for the event.
Â
On Monday, starting at 5 p.m. PT on ESPN, at Miami Marlins Park, Judge will be on stage against the likes of the defending derby champion Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins), Cody Bellinger (Los Angeles Dodgers), Mike Moustakas (Kansas City Royals), Miguel Sano (Minnesota Twins), Charlie Blackmon (Colorado Rockies), Justin Bour (Miami Marlins) and Gary Sanchez (New York Yankees).
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The competitors are seeded 1-8, in a single-elimination bracket system, with three rounds total. In each bracket, the higher seed hits second. In the first round, No. 1 Stanton faces No. 8 Sanchez, No. 2 Judge faces No. 7 Bour, No. 3 Bellinger faces No. 6 Blackmon and No. 4 Moustakas faces No. 5 Sano.
Â
Despite Judge owning the MLB lead in home runs at the break with 30, he was slotted the second-seed with Stanton returning to defend his 2016 title. The rest of the group was decided by home runs during the current season.
Â
Midsummer Classic
As the leading vote-getter in the American League (4,488,702), Judge will be the first Bulldog to make an appearance in an MLB All-Star game since pitcher Bobby Jones in 1997. Jones got his shot with an appearance in the eighth inning of that game and with that shot he closed the frame with back-to-back strike outs against Ken Griffey Jr. and Mark McGwire.Â
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Judge will be the first Yankees outfielder to start since Curtis Granderson in 2012, will be the first Yankees player to start before age 26 since Willie Randolph did so at 23 in 1977, and is the first Yankees rookie position player to make the All-Star Game since Hideki Matsui in 2003.
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Prior to the break, Judge hit his major league-leading 30th home run on Friday to surpass the Yankees' rookie record set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936. DiMaggio hit 29 homers in 637 at-bats in 1936. Judge reached No. 30 in his 293rd at-bat. The only rookie in major-league history with more home runs before the All-Star break is McGwire, who hit 33 in the first half in 1987 for the Athletics.
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ÂRewriting history.
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 8, 2017
The Judge passes The Clipper. https://t.co/CGZ9uVsss9 pic.twitter.com/AbOKn0v8i1
"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160
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