DENVER (AP) — Aaron Judge insisted he doesn't pay too much attention to his numbers, which, for the record, are eye-opening — .395 average with 18 homers and 46 RBIs.
Even more, the New York Yankees slugger hinted he's not as locked in as one might think.
“I don’t feel too great at the plate,” Judge said after New York's 13-1 win over the slumping Colorado Rockies on Saturday. “Always a work in progress.”
Now that's a scary thought.
After all, he's flirting with .400 well into May.
He has certainly taken a liking to Coors Field in his first regular-season visit this weekend, homering in back-to-back games.
“The stadium is great," Judge said. “Fans always show up in numbers and it's a packed house.”
For the last two days, that's largely because of Judge, whose No. 99 jersey was quite popular around the park. He also drew the loudest cheers — and boos, when the Rockies intentionally walked him during a 10-run fifth inning. It was just his ninth intentional walk of the season.
In this case, it helped set the table for the big inning in which the Yankees sent 14 batters to the plate.
“If I can get on base for those guys, they’re going to do something special,” Judge explained. “You never know what’s going to happen — you've just got to stay ready to hit every single time.”
Judge said he doesn’t dwell too much on his numbers for one specific reason: They're reflections of the past. He prefers to look forward.
“My dad would always give me the quote, ‘If what you did yesterday still seemed big today, then you haven’t done anything today,’” the 6-foot-7 outfielder said. “So it doesn’t matter what you did yesterday. If you’re still happy about your good game last night, then you probably haven’t done anything today.”
To manager Aaron Boone, it's not a surprise Judge is hitting so well. It simply speaks to the evolution of the player who's in his 10th season.
“Ultimately, if you’re going to have real success, you've got to rely on a little bit of chase with him,” Boone said. “He’s just gotten so good at not chasing. You just don’t see him leave the zone that often. As dangerous as he is and as much power as he (has), when you’re not leaving the strike zone, I’m sure that can’t be an entirely comfortable feeling for a pitcher.”
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge heads back to the dugout after touching home plate following his solo home run off Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Kyle Freeland in the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Fans boo when New York Yankees' Aaron Judge is given an intentional walk in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge smiles as he steps on first base after being issued an intentional walk in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
BRISTOL, Pa. (AP) — Construction crews and drones searched the rubble of a Pennsylvania nursing home Wednesday, a day after a powerful explosion killed at least two people, collapsed part of the building and left several residents unaccounted for.
Emergency responders from across the region had evacuated residents and dug through debris on Tuesday amid flames, smoke, a strong smell of gas and even a second explosion, Gov. Josh Shapiro said at a news conference that evening.
The blast at the 174-bed nursing home in Bristol Township, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of Philadelphia, happened shortly after a utility crew responded to reports of a gas odor at the facility, authorities said. Investigators are examining whether a gas leak caused the explosion, a finding officials cautioned remains preliminary.
The town’s fire chief, Kevin Dippolito, said at the Tuesday news conference that five people were still unaccounted for, but he cautioned that some may have left the scene with family members.
The first report of an explosion at Bristol Health & Rehab Center came at around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. Dippolito described a chaotic rescue in which firefighters found people trapped in stairwells and elevator shafts and pulled residents from windows and doors. Two people were rescued from a collapsed section of the building.
Firefighters handed patients to police officers waiting outside, including one officer “who literally threw two people over his shoulders,” Dippolito said. Rescuers used search dogs, heavy equipment and sonar to locate potential victims.
Willie Tye, who lives about a block away, said he was watching a basketball game when he heard a loud boom.
“I thought an airplane or something came and fell on my house,” he said. When he went outside, he saw “fire everywhere” and people fleeing the building.
The local gas utility, PECO, said its crews were responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred. The company said it shut off natural gas and electric service to the facility to protect first responders and nearby residents.
“It is not known at this time if PECO’s equipment, or natural gas, was involved in this incident,” the utility said in a statement.
Investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission went to the scene. A utility commission spokesperson said a determination that a gas leak caused the explosion cannot be confirmed until investigators examine the site.
Musuline Watson, who said she was a certified nursing assistant at the facility, told WPVI-TV that staff smelled gas over the weekend but did not initially suspect a serious problem because there was no heat in that room.
The nursing home recently became affiliated with Saber Healthcare Group and was previously known as Silver Lake Healthcare Center.
Saber called the explosion “devastating” in a statement and said facility personnel promptly reported the gas odor to PECO before the blast. The company said it was cooperating with authorities to ensure the safety of residents, staff and the surrounding community.
State records show the facility was cited for multiple violations during its most recent inspection in October by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, including failing to provide accurate floor plans, properly maintain stairways and fire extinguishers on one level. Inspectors also cited the facility for lacking required smoke barrier partitions designed to contain smoke across floors.
According to Medicare.gov, the facility underwent a standard fire safety inspection in September 2024 and received no citations. Medicare’s overall rating of the facility is listed as “much below average,” with poor ratings for health inspections in particular.
Levy and Scolforo reported from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Associated Press reporters Tassanee Vejpongsa in Bristol, Pennsylvania; Holly Ramer in Concord, New Hampshire; Michael Casey in Boston; and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.
First responders work the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa. (Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
First responders work at the scene of an explosion and fire at Bristol Health & Rehab Center, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Bristol, Pa. (Monica Herndon/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)
Investigators work around Bristol Health & Rehab Center and surrounding rubble after a gas explosion the day prior on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Bristol, Pa. (AP Photo/Mingson Lau)
Investigators work around Bristol Health & Rehab Center and surrounding rubble after a gas explosion the day prior on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Bristol, Pa. (AP Photo/Mingson Lau)
A responder navigates around Bristol Health & Rehab Center and surrounding rubble after a gas explosion the day prior on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, in Bristol, Pa. (AP Photo/Mingson Lau)
