New York Yankees: What Aaron Judge has to say about Gio Urshela

New York Yankees, Gio Urshela
Jun 30, 2019; London, ENG; New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela (29) runs to first base after hitting a two-run single during the seventh inning of the game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at London Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Flynn-USA TODAY Sports

Just one year ago New York Yankees third baseman Gio Urshela was batting .233 for the Toronto Blue Jays. Fast forward to the present and he’s hitting an astounding .302 with seven homers and 41 RBIs.

When it comes to the Yankees, average players suddenly become stars. How? Only the baseball gods really know. My assumption is the history and expectation that comes with being a Yankee.

If you like to win and want to be around players that care, coming to the Bombers is the right choice. For Urshela, it ended up being a career-changing move.

Even star Aaron Judge knows how amazing the first-year Yankee has been, stating (NJ.com):

“We wouldn’t be in first place right now if we didn’t have Gio,” Judge said.

The emergence of not just Gio but DJ LeMaheiu has set the tone for the season. Sitting at 59-and-32 on the year, the Bombers are on pace for another 100-win season, on the backs of unexpected players due to injuries.

The fact that injuries haven’t derailed this team yet is beyond me and most fans, and it attests to the culture GM Brian Cashman has built and the methods he’s used to extract value out of his players.

In the Yankees’ latest victory, Urshela drove in two runs with a second-inning single and made another defensive gem at third. A great slide in the bottom of the fifth really stole the show, though, avoiding the tag in a matrix-style move.

Both teams were talking about the slide after the game:

“It was crazy good,” Blue Jays pitcher Marcus Stroman said.

“I was trying to sneak around the glove,” Urshela said.

Struggling earlier in his career might have been a product of low confidence or misuse, but manager Aaron Boone knows why he’s succeeding:

“When he was coming up through the minor leagues, he was always a guy who made good contact, which can be a really good sign and sometimes take a while to blossom.,” Boone said. ”I’m sure that there were a lot of people that followed his minor-league career that aren’t surprised that he’s starting to swing the ball now at the major league level.”