In his ninth major league season with the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge experienced a first-time career event during a game on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers. During the seventh inning of the game, Judge took a fastball from pitcher Tyler Holton on a 3-2 count that he believed was outside the strike zone. He showed his disagreement with the call and walked back to the dugout, only to be ejected by home plate umpire Ryan Blakney.
Despite being ejected, Judge had an impressive performance, finishing with a 2-for-4 record and an RBI. The Yankees won the game 5-3, but it was an interesting moment for Judge as he became the first Yankees captain to be ejected from a game since Don Mattingly in 1994.
After the game, Judge expressed surprise at being ejected and mentioned that he has said worse things before without being ejected. He also acknowledged the tough job that umpires have and respected Blakney’s decision. Additionally, graphics coordinator Seth Rothman pointed out that Blakney consistently called pitches just outside the zone as strikes throughout the game.