MLB Twitter not sold on analyst’s take on Aaron Judge: “Not even the best center fielder in New York"

When New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs last season, it was hard not to regard the 30-year old as the best in the game.

Judge was crowned the 2022 AL MVP, gifted a nine-year, $960 million contract extension, and named the first captain of the Yankees since Derek Jeter. It seemed like the baseball world did indeed see him in a league of his own.

MLB analyst Jon Heyman recently posted a tweet referring to Aaron Judge as the "best center fielder in baseball." Contrary to what you might expect, the post generated a very mixed reception.

"Oh my, Judge with another run-saving catch. He’s the best CF in baseball, prove I’m wrong. The Yankees may actually have the two best CFs." - Jon Heyman

Heyman's remarks came after Judge's run-saving grab in a game on April 19 against the Los Angeles Angels, a contest the Bombers won by a score of 3-2. However, fans had their own views on Judge.

So far in 2022, the 6-foot-7 superslugger is hitting .274/.382/.597 with 6 home runs and 11 RBIs. Although these numbers are well above average, a new addition to the New York Yankees has stolen some of the big man's thunder.

Since signing an emergency one-year deal with the Yankees just hours before their opening day match, Franchy Cordero has come alive for his team.

The Dominican utility man has hit .200/.238/.525 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs, placing him just behind Aaron Judge in offensive output so far this season. Last year, Cordero only appeared in 84 games last season as a member of the Boston Red Sox.

New York Yankees fans are, by their very nature, a critical community. Although Judge has not really given fans grounds for dissatisfaction, they seem to be finding it anyway.

Fans have also taken the liberty to compare Judge, who normally plays in right or left field anyways, to other center fielders around the league like Mike Trout and Brandon Nimmo. Although being the best is subjective, it's hard to see any of those names holding more cache than Aaron Judge.

Aaron Judge has history on the horizon

Fans can say what they will about Judge and his early-season stats, but the 2023 year has hardly begun.

With Aaron Judge possibly joining an elite list of players to hit 60 home runs in back-to-back seasons, the big man cannot afford to get distracted from the noise emanating from armchair managers.

We will see if he can silence his critics in the coming games.