Prospect Q&A: Judge 'blessed' to be a Yankee

Aaron Judge may have been the biggest guy in the Yankees' clubhouse last spring when he reported to Tampa, but the towering 6-foot-7 outfielder said he tried to remain unseen.

"I was trying to just stay out of the way," he said.

Veterans like Alex Rodriguez approached the 2013 first-round pick, and front office advisors like Gary Denbo pulled the outfielder into the batting cage this offseason to get Judge ready for Opening Day. The 23-year-old likes to describe himself as being blessed, both for the opportunity he's receiving and the power and strength that he clearly offers a lineup.

Judge led all of Yankees Minor Leaguers with 20 homers and 72 RBIs last season across two levels, appearing in the All-Star Futures Game before earning an invite back to Major League Spring Training this year. His tools are evident, but the former Fresno State star is still learning and adjusting. He added a leg kick to his plate approach this winter and said he'll be on a mission to stay consistent this year.

"I think his at-bats have been pretty good," Yankees manager Joe Girardi told MLB.com. "I think he's been really patient. I don't see him chasing pitches.

We caught up with MLB.com's No. 31 prospect before a Spring Training game against Toronto last week:

MiLB.com: How's Spring Training going? What's it been like so far for you?

Aaron Judge: Second year in big league camp, so it's going well. I'm more comfortable with everyone, I know the staff and players, so it's going well so far.

MiLB.com: Yankees fans are eager to see you get through Triple-A and up to the Bronx -- what do you think you need to work on the most this season to take the next step?

Judge: Just being consistent. that's always the biggest key on the field, both in defense and in the lineup, wherever I'm at, I just want to be consistent.

MiLB.com: [Yankees vice president of player development] Gary Denbo said this week you've made some adjustments to your swing and plate mechanics to better recognize pitches, most notably a higher leg kick. What have you done and how comfortable do you feel entering the season?

Judge: I feel good right now, I'm seeing the ball well. The main thing for me is giving myself an extra second to recognize the pitch and do some damage. I'm working on getting some reps and at-bats and taking that into the season.

MiLB.com: The power and size you possess prompts people to compare you to Giancarlo Stanton. Is that a fair comparison? Are you tired of having people bring him up?

Judge: (laughs) Yeah, it's quite an honor. He's one of the premier hitters in the league, but I'm trying to go out there and be the best I can be. I'm not going to be a Giancarlo Stanton, I'm just focusing on what I can control and play the game the best way I can.

MiLB.com: What was last season like for you between Trenton and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre? You were on a playoff team, got to celebrate a division title.

Judge: It was an awesome experience. I'm always blessed -- to have those teammates and coaches at Trenton, and then when we went up to Scranton we were champs. What a cool experience, we were winning and were a tight-knit group, everyone was playing hard every day, we all loved coming to the ballpark -- it made baseball fun. You get into August, the season gets to be a grind, it gets a little warmer, it gets tough. But we had great coaching staff and teammates are busting their butts, so it makes those hard days a lot better, when they're all cheering you on

MiLB.com: You enter this season as arguably the Yankees' top prospect, and certainly the one most fans are excited to see in New York. How do you deal with the expectations and pressure?

Judge: I don't even think about it. I've been blessed the past couple years to play with these other talented guys and the teams we've been on, we've had top prospects on all of them, so none of us really feel any pressure on us. We go out and play until the job is done. I've been blessed, it's been a fun couple years playing with great guys. Seeing Rob Refsnyder and Greg Bird going up and doing their thing, it's cool to see them playing the game.

MiLB.com: What was the most memorable moment from last season? You went to Spring Training, you were promoted to Triple-A, you played in the Futures Game. among other highlights.

Judge: I have two. Ref and Bird. I was rooming with Refs on the road when he got the call from Cashman saying, "Hey, catch a flight to Boston, you're starting at second base." I was there when Birdy got his call-up. That's something as a kid you dream of, going to the Major Leagues. I was there when my friends got the call and it gave me chills, just seeing the big smiles they had. What an experience. So going to Triple-A -- none of that matters after seeing your friends get that opportunity. Seeing that is such a blessing.

MiLB.com: Why do you wear No. 99?

Judge: I don't know (laughs). They gave it to me in Spring Training and it stuck with me, guys said to keep it. I took it up with me to Triple-A and, I dunno. Also, the Yankees, we've got so many great players from the past, so many retired numbers, there's not many left.

MiLB.com: So are you going to keep it going forward?

Judge: We'll see, I dunno.

MiLB.com: A-Rod tweeted a photo the other day of him in between you and Michael O'Neill, saying "Someday fans will look at this pic and say 'who's the old guy in the middle?'" What's it like playing with Alex, what have you learned from him? What's it like for the younger players to be around him in the clubhouse?

Judge: The cool thing about what we have here in New York is our veterans are top notch. They are going out of their way to talk to younger guys, asking us if we want to take some extra hitting, extra ground balls. It makes it an easier environment to go out and play your game and feel comfortable. Last year, I got here for my first Spring Training and I was trying to just stay out of the way of those guys. Get my work in and stay out of the way, but they kept asking me, "Hey, you wanna go hit? You want to workout?" So it's been pretty cool with Alex, Carlos, Jacoby, Gardner, McCann, even CC. CC is out there and he's talking to young guys.

Someday, fans will look at this pic of @thejudge44 and @MichaelONeill10 and say "who's the old guy in the middle" pic.twitter.com/29UjaeRKVW

- Alex Rodriguez (@AROD) March 5, 2016

MiLB.com: You were drafted by Oakland in 2010 but didn't sign -- was that a difficult decision, being from California?

Judge: Not really. I was kind of stuck on going to school, both my parents were teachers and they had an influence on me. They both went to Fresno State as well. I was set on going to Fresno State.

MiLB.com: Did you play any other sports in high school? Do you miss them?

Judge: Yeah, I played football and basketball. I still shoot around in the offseason. I do miss football though, it was always a fun one. A different mentality than baseball. It's a fun game.

MiLB.com: Favorite player growing up?

Judge: Growing up for me, at a young age, my dad talked about Dave Winfield. He was a bigger guy like I was, three-sport star. They said I would be big like him. I always followed him and looked at old videos, and just the way he held himself on and off the field, he was a class act. And living in California, I watched the Giants a lot, so guys like Jeff Kent, Barry Bonds, Rich Aurilia -- they were some of my favorites to watch.

MiLB.com: You tweeted you're hooked on watching The Bachelor with Michael O'Neill. How's that going?

Judge: You know, you gotta ask Kaprielian on that -- James Kaprielian and Tyler Wade. I went over their place one night and they had it on and they kind of drew me in. But you gotta ask Kap about that.

MiLB.com: Any pre-game routines or superstitions you have before taking the field?

Judge: During the game, gum. I have a big thing with gum. If I'm chewing a piece of gum and I go up and get a hit, I keep the gum. But if I get out, I gotta throw it away. That's one I've got.

MiLB.com: Any hidden talents or something fans wouldn't know about you?

Judge: Something they wouldn't know? I'm starting to learn how to play the piano. I just got a piano at my parents' house and I've been learning how to play in the offseason. Maybe in a couple years I'll be good.

MiLB.com: Final question. It's your Major League debut, first at-bat at Yankee Stadium. What song are you walking out to?

Judge: I'm not sure, I don't know if they'll even give me a walk-up song, I'll be a rookie. I think it'll be the last thing on my mind at that moment, I'll be locked in on the moment and the opportunity. Whatever they play, I probably won't even hear it.