From Cy Young winners to a Florida tech salesman: Pitchers share what it's really like facing Aaron Judge

Since Aaron Judge entered the majors adjacent the extremity of the 2016 season, determination has not been a much prolific -- and fear-inducing -- slugger than the New York Yankees superstar.

Listed astatine 6-foot-7, 282 pounds, Judge's premix of size, powerfulness and patience makes him each pitcher's nightmare. Nobody has deed much location runs than Judge's 359 since his large league debut and thing other tin get an full stadium to perk up successful anticipation rather similar erstwhile No. 99 steps to the plate.

Though a midseason close elbow wounded slowed the gait a spot connected what could person been his champion enactment yet, Judge is putting the finishing touches connected his 4th play with astatine slightest 40 location runs and his 4th consecutive with an OPS implicit 1.000 while, yet again, entering the last weeks with the American League MVP grant wrong his reach.

We asked those who person faced Judge passim his large league vocation -- and immoderate who archetypal got their archetypal sensation of his powerfulness earlier the reigning AL MVP was a household sanction -- to stock their champion Aaron Judge stories.

"Maybe I should commencement an Aaron Judge he's-hit-a-home-run-off-me enactment group"

For amended oregon worse, each pitcher who faces Judge contiguous goes into the matchup knowing what helium is up against. But determination was a clip erstwhile helium had the constituent of astonishment connected his broadside arsenic helium roseate done the ranks astatine Fresno State.

During the 2012 season, Mark Appel was the speech of assemblage baseball. On March 2, the ace of No. 1-ranked Stanford shot took the mound for a nonconference matchup against Judge's Bulldogs unaware of what awaited him.

"We had precise constricted scouting. Video scouting was not truly a wide thing," Appel recalled earlier this month. "So, we knew conscionable based disconnected of the numbers, but it was truthful aboriginal successful the season. I don't deliberation helium had a prolific freshman year. He was comparatively chartless to us.

"I retrieve we went to Fresno, and they already had immoderate fans -- astir apt conscionable immoderate of his chap classmates -- that would spell to the games, and they had this small chant for him whenever helium came up, I can't adjacent retrieve what it was, but it's like, 'Here comes the Judge.'"

Judge entered that time with nary location runs 9 games into his sophomore play -- aft hitting conscionable 2 his freshman twelvemonth -- but took Stanford's ace heavy doubly successful a stunning 7-4 upset.

And the fable of Judge was born.

Appel: We benignant of walked successful determination -- I deliberation we were No. 1 successful the state -- similar we're conscionable gonna benignant of steamroll these guys, you know? And we did not. We did not.

We were truthful dumbfounded. We were like, 'What is going connected close now?' I deliberation I had conscionable travel disconnected of a crippled [against Texas] wherever I threw 7 innings, 10 punches, 1 tally maybe. I was conscionable dominant, you know? And past we spell to this, a .500 Fresno State team, and they enactment up a 7 spot connected me.

Pretty definite that twelvemonth I lone gave up 3 location runs, and 2 of 'em were successful that crippled to Aaron.

Erick Fedde, Milwaukee Brewers (UNLV, 2012-14): Back then, helium evidently inactive had that beingness of a large human. I conjecture I didn't person that anticipation of a perennial All-Star, champion hitter, MVP caliber player, but you evidently knew helium had power.

Appel: I had a large fastball, particularly for college. So, I deliberation Fresno State's crippled program against maine was like, 'Hey, look for the fastball, get connected it aboriginal and conscionable effort to enactment a tube connected it.' I near 1 conscionable benignant of middle-in, close successful Aaron's saccharine spot, and helium conscionable -- I mean, it was 1 of the hardest deed balls I've seen. It got retired successful a hurry.

Matthew Boyd, Chicago Cubs (Oregon State, 2011-13): The archetypal twelvemonth of the BBCOR bats ... I conscionable retrieve we were taking BP, and we were complaining due to the fact that we thought the Nike BBCOR bats conscionable stunk. And past erstwhile we spell ticker Fresno State, they're swinging Easton bats, and this 1 freshman was conscionable peppering the scoreboard. Just proceeding this metallic bang connected the scoreboard each clip and it's like, 'Oh, we're complaining [to Nike] astir the bats.' And past travel to recognize it's n...