Throughout the 2019 MLB season, Sporting News will run short interviews with players, highlighting their favorite foods, activities and more in a feature we're calling Two Minutes With ...
In this edition, SN's Joe Rivera got two minutes with Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge.
MORE: Watch 'ChangeUp,' a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN
SPORTING NEWS: When you step into the box, you seem to have the same approach versus all pitchers — you step in the box, you work counts. When did you discover that was a trademark of your approach as a hitter?
AARON JUDGE: I think it just kind of happened, to be honest. I always try and stay aggressive early on, especially up here in the big leagues, when you usually get one pitch to hit in a day or one pitch to hit in an at-bat. For me, it's just about ready and aggressive for that one pitch. They're gonna pitch on the edges or pitch around or pitch up, you just can't miss a mistake. That's the biggest thing in this game; these pitchers are pretty good, when they throw a good slider, you just can't do a lot of damage even if you hit it, so you have to try and find the mistakes when you can.
SN: You've adjusted everywhere you've been in your career — throughout the minors, all the way up to the majors. How difficult is that for a hitter, especially when you have an established approach?
AJ: It's tough, it's tough, but that's the fun in the game. This game is like a chess match. I'm gonna make my moves, they're gonna make their moves to adjust to your game plan. You get to do that every single day. I enjoy that, even in the minor leagues, going level to level and adjusting there. In the Low-A and High-A you see a lot of heaters, then in Double A, where a lot of prospects are, you've got a good heater, plus they can command their offspeed pitches. In Triple-A, you have veteran guys, who command all their pitches well, but they're up-and-down from the big leagues. It's been a fun ride, but that's what I love: the tinkering, changing the approaches. I love that part.
SN: Correct me if I'm wrong, but earlier in the season it looked like you adopted a two-strike approach at the plate. Choking up a bit, shorting up your swing. Is that something you focused on between last year and this year?
AJ: I started doing more of a no-stride. A lot of my cage work is done without lifting my leg, a lot of no-stride stuff. I wanted to add that tool into my box. I worked on that this offseason — try to add to my repetoir of things I can do during the season.
SN: OK, I have three rapid-fire questions. No. 1 — you step in the gym, you're getting pumped, what's your go-to song or artist?
AJ: Long pause, clearly pondering such a difficult question. For the gym? Dang. I got a couple in rotation, but old-school Eminem, T.I., even Drake.
SN: "Till I Collapse" is still probably the best gym song.
AJ: Yep, yep, gets you going, always.
SN: Pizza or tacos?
AJ: Pizza.
SN: New York or Chicago style?
AJ: New York, definitely.
SN: You have to say that here, you know.
AJ: Looking around. Yep, yep, I gotta. Laughing.
SN: Last question: Batman or Iron Man, and why?
AJ: I'd go Iron Man. I'm more of a techy guy. I like the more technological side of it. Batman can't fly — Iron Man can fly a little bit.
