Despite loss to Buffalo, Taylor Dugas returns to RailRiders with a bang

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<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Gigantic Judge tearing up the minor leagues</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Dave Rosengrant</p><p>drosengrant@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><style>
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<div class="neCaption">RailRiders right fielder Aaron Judge has the build to be a successful football or basketball player, but he&#8217;s excelling on the diamond at 6-foot-7, 275-pounds. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/web1_rr_bats3_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>RailRiders right fielder Aaron Judge has the build to be a successful football or basketball player, but he&#8217;s excelling on the diamond at 6-foot-7, 275-pounds. </caption0></div></div>
<p>Aaron Judge doesn&#8217;t look much like a pro baseball player.</p><p>His towering 6-foot-7, 275-pound frame looks more suited for a basketball court or a 100-yard gridiron. Heck, he even wears a number that&#8217;s more appropriate for playing with a pigskin.</p><p>But, he happens to be the No. 2 prospect in the New York organization. A power hitter manning right field for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.</p><p>When playing in the field, it seems obvious that Judge&#8217;s build helps him get to balls other outfielders can&#8217;t due mostly to longer strides and higher jumps.</p><p>Offensively though, it&#8217;s not as easy. It&#8217;s more natural to see a pitcher with a massive build, not so much a hitter.</p><p>Plus, Judge has to shorten his naturally longer swing to be productive. If he didn&#8217;t shorten his swing, pitchers would throw him down all the time and he wouldn&#8217;t display the offensive prowess he&#8217;s shown since being drafted in the first round in 2013 out of Fresno State.</p><p>&#8220;Just a bunch of different drills that I do during my early work that helps tighten my swing up so I can get inside on those pitches and turn on them,&#8221; he said.</p><p>Once the swing is shortened, Judge&#8217;s massive frame is even more advantageous when in the batter&#8217;s box because once he makes he makes contact the ball travels &#8212; far.</p><p>&#8220;I feel like it helps me having a little bigger size is more leverage to drive the ball,&#8221; Judge said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t have to square up too many balls. I feel like if I just touch it, it will go. I feel like my height and my weight helps me out a lot.&#8221;</p><p>Squaring up many balls has led to his extra-base power, and not just home runs. In fact, Judge has been regarded as a power hitter, but since breaking into the minors in 2014, he&#8217;s only hit a home run every 25 at bats or so.</p><p>But he uses the gaps and lines to his advantage and has piled up dozens of doubles and is close to reaching double-figures in triples in just over 200 games in the minors equaling a slugging percentage over .500.</p><p>&#8220;My approach is to find something out over the plate and try to drive the ball to right field,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Those that are inside and turn into home runs surprise me because I&#8217;m just trying hit the ball to right field. That&#8217;s just my approach, try to get on base and hit some to the right side.&#8221;</p><p>A Futures Game selection for the game on on Sunday, July 12 in Cincinnati at Great American Ball Park, Judge finds himself one step away from being in the Major Leagues.</p><p>It&#8217;s not that easy though. He&#8217;s going to have to prove that he can perform as well as he has at other levels of the minors before he will be playing in Yankee Stadium on a full-time basis.</p><p>&#8220;Quality AB&#8217;s,&#8221; he answered when asked what he wants to accomplish at the Triple-A level. &#8220;I want to help the team out. That&#8217;s the biggest thing. You&#8217;re one step away, but just kinda fine tune that approach and just help the team out. The biggest thing for me is to square up the ball as best I can and just go out there and win.&#8221;</p><p>And not on the football field or basketball court. Even though his number 99 is mostly seen on tight ends or defensive lineman. There&#8217;s no great story behind picking the highest number available to don on a jersey.</p><p>&#8220;They gave it to me in spring training, so I thought I&#8217;d just stick with it again,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I had 55 in Trenton; that&#8217;s the biggest number they had that fit me.&#8221;</p><p>It may be fitting for him to wear the number if he makes it to the Majors since so many Yankee numbers are retired. With so much build-up surrounding the top offensive prospect in the organization, he could give another player looking to wear 99 a model.</p><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Dave Rosengrant may be reached at 570-970-7373 or on Twitter @TLdrosengrant</shirttailMeta></div>

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders’ Aaron Judge tearing up the minor leagues