"It was a little chickens**t" - When ex-Yankee Kyle Higashioka slammed opponents for being cautious around Aaron Judge during AL HR record chase

During the 2022 MLB season, New York Yankees All-Star Aaron Judge was the center of attention as he was about to surpass Roger Maris’ American League record for most home runs in a single season. Judge ultimately broke the record by hitting 62. But according to former Yankees player Kyle Higashioka, other players were being too careful around Judge.

Higashioka, a Yankees catcher from 2017 to 2023, expressed his dissatisfaction with the way some opponents choose to approach Judge carefully, frequently walking him or making unhittable pitches.

“I hated the fact that people were pitching around him, just because they didn’t want to give up the records,” Higashioka said in 2022. “It was a little chickens**t. If you’re a major league player and you’re pitching around somebody because you’re afraid of giving up a homer — I mean, in the right situation, fine. But nobody on, nobody out? Like, come on.”

According to the Yankees catcher, several opponents took the easy way out by simply refusing to pitch to Judge. This strategy prevented viewers from seeing Judge's entire skill at the plate as he neared his opportunity to create history.

Some might not have agreed with what Kyle Higashioka said, but everyone can agree that Aaron Judge was amazing in 2022. His incredible power had baseball fans around the world glued to their seats watching him chase Roger Maris's record.

Aaron Judge unsure for opening day start

Aaron Judge may not be available for the Yankees on opening day because of discomfort in his abdominal area.

Judge said that he had been feeling discomfort in his abdomen region for almost a week. He decided to take a break now to try to avoid missing any games when the regular season starts.

“We ran tests. Everything comes back good,” Judge said on Tuesday, a day after the MRI. “A little banged up. The most important thing is opening day, and I'd rather take some days now and be smart about it.”