Sano, Judge square off again as Twins host Yankees
Miguel Sano didn't have to wait long for a rematch with Home Run Derby opponent Aaron Judge.
The Minnesota Twins host the New York Yankees just a week after the rookie topped Sano in the finals, setting up another showdown between two of the American League's top sluggers.
Judge has Sano's number in most major statistical categories -- including batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, home runs, hits and RBI -- but Sano has him beat in one interesting category.
| Player | Team | Average fly ball distance (feet) |
| Miguel Sano | Twins | 360.5 |
| George Springer | Astros | 355.9 |
| Justin Bour | Marlins | 354.6 |
| Scott Schebler | Reds | 352.7 |
| Aaron Judge | Yankees | 352.1 |
Sano is hitting the ball 360.5 feet on average when hits a fly ball, eight feet further than Judge.
The Twins' third baseman leads the majors in that category, and has the MLB average beat by almost 40 feet.
Manager Paul Molitor will send rookie pitcher Adalberto Mejia to the mound in the series opener, and while the first-year starter has had an up-and-down season so far, he's shined in tight spots.
Opposing batters are hitting just .172 against Mejia with runners in scoring position, and a dismal .050 against him with runners in scoring position and two outs, the second-lowest such figure in the American League.
| Situation | Opponent BA | AL rank |
| Bases empty | .328 | 5th highest |
| Runners on | .176 | 3rd lowest |
| RISP | .172 | 5th lowest |
| RISP & 2 outs | .050 | 2nd lowest |
| 2 outs overall | .136 | Lowest |
Statistics courtesy of STATS LLC
