In 2024, Aaron Judge is back to his former glory, to the point where organizations are starting to treat him like Barry Bonds.
Back in the early 2000s, pitchers and managers in Major League Baseball decided the best way to handle Barry Bonds at the peak of his powers was to walk him intentionally — no matter what. In 2004, he was given first base 120 times. Sometimes, you just knew it was for the best if you needed to win a game against the Giants.
Intentional walks are less dramatic now than they were back then. Pitchers used to have to physically throw four balls before the walk was issued. Now, you just kind of point to first, and that’s that. They still happen, though, especially if you’re playing against Aaron Judge.
