Aaron Judge is a standout center fielder for the New York Yankees and has been playing in the major leagues for nearly a decade. In 2022, he was named American League MVP, an impressive achievement given his longevity in the league. However, on Saturday during a game against the Detroit Tigers, Judge experienced a career first: being ejected from the game after arguing a called third strike by home plate umpire Ryan Blakney.
The incident occurred in the seventh inning of the game when Judge took a fastball from pitcher Tyler Holton on a 3-2 count that he believed was outside the strike zone. After expressing his disagreement with the call, Judge walked back to the dugout only to be ejected by Blakney. Despite protests from Judge and his teammates, Blakney stood firm on his decision to eject him.
Despite being ejected, Judge had an impressive performance at the plate, ending with a 2-for-4 record and an RBI. The Yankees went on to win the game 5-3. Interestingly, this was the first time since Don Mattingly in 1994 that a Yankees captain had been ejected from a game.
After the game, Judge expressed surprise at being ejected and mentioned that he has said worse things before without being ejected. He also acknowledged that umpires have a tough job and maintained respect for Blakney’s decision-making skills. Additionally, graphics coordinator Seth Rothman pointed out that Blakney consistently called pitches just outside of home plate as strikes throughout the game.