John Bankston

2001 SW 31st Avenue Hallandale, FL 33009 www.mitchelllane.com Copyright © 2019 by Mitchell Lane Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America.

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5 Seconds of Summer Gwen Stefani Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Aaron Judge Hope Solo Megan Fox Abby Wambach Ice Cube Miguel Tejada Adele Jamie Foxx Alicia Keys James Harden Nancy Pelosi Allen Iverson Jared Goff Natasha Bedingfield Ashanti Ja Rule Nicki Minaj Ashlee Simpson Jason Derulo One Direction Ashton Kutcher Jay-Z Orianthi Avril Lavigne Jennifer Hudson Orlando Bloom Blake Lively Jennifer Lopez P. Diddy Blake Shelton Jessica Simpson Peyton Manning Bow Wow JJ Watt Pharrell Williams Brett Favre J. K. Rowling Pit Bull Britney Spears John Legend Prince William CC Sabathia Justin Berfield Queen Latifah Carrie Underwood Justin Timberlake Robert Downey Jr. Carson Wentz Kanye West Ron Howard Charlie Puth Kate Hudson Russell Westbrook Chris Brown Keith Urban Russell Wilson Chris Daughtry Kelly Clarkson Sean Kingston Christina Aguilera Kenny Chesney Selena Clay Aiken Ke$ha Shia LaBeouf Cole Hamels Kevin Durant Shontelle Layne Condoleezza Rice Kristen Stewart Soulja Boy Tell ’Em Corbin Bleu Lady Gaga Stephenie Meyer Daniel Radcliffe Lance Armstrong Taylor Swift Leona Lewis T.I. David Wright Le’Veon Bell Timbaland Derek Hough Lindsay Lohan Tim McGraw LL Cool J Toby Keith Drew Brees Ludacris Usher Dwyane Wade Luke Bryan Vanessa Anne Hudgens Eminem Maren Morris The Weeknd Eve Mariah Carey Will.i.am Fergie Mario Zac Efron Flo Rida Mary J. Blige

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Bankston, John, 1974- author. Title: Aaron Judge / by John Bankston. Description: Hallandale, Florida : Mitchell Lane Publishers, [2019] | Series: Blue Banner Biographies | Includes webography. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Audience: Ages: 8-13. Identifiers: LCCN 2018007996| ISBN 9781680202823 (library bound) | ISBN 9781680202830 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Judge, Aaron, 1992– —Juvenile literature. | players—United States— Biography—Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV865.J83 B36 2018 | DDC 796.323092 [B] —dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018007996

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Boston, Massachusetts, John Bankston began writing professionally while still a teenager. Since then, more than 200 of his articles have been published in magazines and newspapers across the country. He is the author of more than 100 nonfiction books for children and young adults, including Mitchell Lane biographies of Abby Wambach, Kevin Durant and Selena Gomez. Today he lives in coastal Florida

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The following story has been thoroughly researched and to the best of our knowledge represents a true story. While every possible effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the publisher will not assume liability for damages caused by inaccuracies in the data and makes no warranty on the accuracy of the information contained herein. This story has not been authorized or endorsed by Aaron Judge. Blue Banner Biography

Chapter 1 Offers...... 5

Chapter 2 Growing Up...... 8

Chapter 3 Being a Bulldog...... 13

Chapter 4 Not Quite “Show” Time...... 17

Chapter 5 King...... 21

Chronology...... 28 Career Stats...... 28 Find Out More...... 29 Works Consulted...... 29 Index...... 32 1 Offers

ach spring, scouts from every E(MLB) team fan out across the country. They attend thousands of college and high school games, looking for the country’s most talented young players. Then in June, MLB teams hold their annual draft. During its 40 rounds, they choose the players who their scouts think might have a chance of playing for them some day. In 2010, Aaron Judge had just graduated from Linden High School in Linden, California. During his time there, he had played basketball and football in addition to baseball. Several top colleges, such as Stanford, Notre Dame, and UCLA offered him football scholarships. Aaron looked like a football player. He was over six feet, seven inches tall. He weighed more than 230 pounds. He’d been a star tight end. The position requires size and speed. It was an ideal fit for him. But Aaron turned down all those offers. He wanted to play baseball.

5 Nearly every Major League player is smaller than Aaron. Many are less than six feet tall. Aaron’s size means that he has an enormous strike zone. The strike zone is the space above a batter’s knees and a bit below his chest. The taller the player, the bigger the strike zone. “The strike zone is just so big,” scout Brian Barber told . “Can he reach the pitch outside? Can he get the bat on the pitch inside?” Despite his big strike zone, Aaron was still a great baseball player. As both a pitcher and a for Linden High School, his skills got him noticed by college recruiters and MLB scouts. One scout who was especially impressed by Aaron was Jermaine Clark. He worked for the Oakland A’s. According to NBCSports.com, he wrote in his scouting report that Aaron was an “untapped monster.” Oakland Scouting Director Eric Kubota added, “He’s bigger and more athletic than any guy he’s around.” The A’s chose him in the 2010 draft. But they waited until the 31st round. As Oakland general manager David Forst explained to Ken Davidoff

6 Even though Aaron turned down the A’s, he eventually played against them. Here he slides into third base with a triple in a game with the A’s.

of the New York Post, “That’s a case where you’re almost certain the Despite his kid’s going to college.” big strike That’s just what Aaron did. He zone, turned down the A’s and decided to Aaron was go to college instead. He wanted an still a education. It was a belief he’d great gotten from his parents. “Both of my parents are teachers,” he told MLB. baseball com in 2014. “So, they were big into player. the college thing. It kind of made my decision pretty easy.”

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