"Aaron Judge can't stay on the field... He's had injuries" - When $2,500,000-worth sportscaster chose Pete Alonso over Yankees captain

During the 2019 season, Pete Alonso made his big-league debut with the New York Mets. He played 161 games, hitting .260/.358/.583, and led all hitters with 53 home runs.

He easily captured the National League Rookie of the Year Award after his performance. Fans couldn't get enough of him, and analysts were excited to see what the future held for Alonso.

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He was quickly compared with the other elite slugger in New York, Aaron Judge. During a 2020 running of SNY's Loud Mouths featuring Jon Hein and Chris Williamson, Hein viewed Alonso as the more important player.

"No. 99 is a physical beast, but here's the problem. He can't stay on the field. I mean, the rookie year was incredible but since then he's had injuries and you worry about how long that's going to play out," said Hein.

The $2.5 million-worth sportscaster points at Judge's injuries following his incredible rookie year. In 2018, he fractured a bone in his wrist after getting hit by a pitch and an oblique strain the following year.

"So, if I'm starting a team from scratch, I'm going with Pete Alonso. Now, we know about the 53 homers, what a great year he had last year, rookie of the year, won the Home Run Derby. To me, though, Alonso has an attitude that I absolutely love," said Hein.

Chris Williamson backs Aaron Judge citing better leadership qualities than Pete Alonso

New York Yankees - Aaron Judge (Photo via IMAGN)

While Hein was fully backing Pete Alonso, Chris Williamson was on the side of Aaron Judge. He couldn't comfortably put Alonso in front of Judge, especially with everything he brings to the table.

"I can't argue with that. Judge's biggest problem has to do with his health. If he doesn't get it together then I think Alonso's obviously the easier choice but Judge carries himself, I won't say better than Alonso, but he's very humble and a guy who leads the way for this type of team. So, I think Judge is the better guy" said Williamson.

While the two couldn't come to an agreement, they can both agree these two are enigmas for their respective teams. This year, all eyes will be on both New York clubs. The New York Yankees are looking to return to the World Series and get some revenge while the New York Mets just had a monstrous offseason.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom