Video shows another challenge facing Aaron Judge

MLB umpires use a batter’s body to determine their strike zone.

According to the league’s official website, “The official strike zone is the area above home plate from the midpoint between a batter’s shoulders and the top of the uniform pants – when the batter is in his position and ready to swing on a thrown ball – and a point just below the kneecap.

Now you imagine New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, 6-foot-7, has a big strike zone.

However, umpires often abuse this perception and provide opposing pitchers with stunning strike calls, especially in the lower end of the zone.

Codify Baseball tweeted about it: “Aaron Judge already has a bigger strike zone by the rules. Imagine if the referees didn’t make it even bigger. These eight examples are from the last two days. All called strikes,” they wrote, along with a short clip.

Aaron Judge already has a bigger strike zone under the rules. Imagine if the referees didn’t make it even bigger.

These eight examples are from the past 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀.
All called strikes. pic.twitter.com/hTBpqWMoeh

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 10, 2022

The clip had several blast appeals, all against Judge.

A persistent problem with the referees

This isn’t a new problem, actually: it’s been going on for years.

Manager Aaron Boone was recently ejected from a game for arguing over balls and strikes with the home plate umpire during a batting umpire.

He kept asking the referee to “make the adjustment”.

The judge is a big man, and the umpires certainly have a hard time calling balls and strikes during his plate appearances.

But more often than not, they will award the pitcher some really bad calls, especially in the zone.

Most impressively, missed calls don’t seem to be able to slow down Judge at all, who is on course for one of the best seasons of his career.

Right now, heading into Tuesday’s game, he’s cutting .284/.354/.608, with nine homers, 19 runs and 19 RBIs.

Imagine if the umpires did a good job of his at-bats.