Yankees' Boone considering batting Judge leadoff

Aaron Judge doesn't fit the prototypical leadoff hitter mold, but you could see him taking hacks from the top spot in the lineup for the New York Yankees in 2018.

New Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters Tuesday that he won't rule out the possibility of batting Judge first when the team faces left-handed pitching.

"I'd say it's possible," Boone said. "I wouldn't necessarily say it's likely, but it's something that I would view as possible, and it's something I've at least considered and we've talked about."

Brett Gardner was the team's primary leadoff option last season, though his splits (.283 batting average against right-handers, .209 against southpaws) suggest he should be hitting lower when a lefty takes the mound. Enter the 6-foot-7, 282-pound Judge, who struck out a league-leading 208 times in hitting 52 home runs last season but also paced the league in walks with 127.

"They haven't brought it up yet, but if they did, I'd just roll with it," Judge said of the lineup change.

Batting sluggers in the leadoff role is a trend that has emerged in recent years, with the Houston Astros' George Springer, Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon and Minnesota Twins' Brian Dozier among the names that had great success in doing so last year.

"I'm not obsessed with it, but it's something that I'm constantly flirting with," Boone added with regard to Judge batting first. "Every now and then I start daydreaming a little bit about what makes the most sense, even like how to set it up down in the order."

One thing Boone ideally wants to do is have a left-handed hitter between Judge and the newly acquired Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. In Tuesday's game, Judge hit second, with Greg Bird behind him and Stanton batting cleanup.

--Field Level Media