“Genius is not replicable. Inspiration, though, is contagious, and multiform — and even just to see, close up, power and aggression made vulnerable to beauty is to feel inspired and (in a fleeting, mortal way) reconciled.”
—David Foster Wallace, “Roger Federer As Religious Experience” (2006)
Four months ago, I borrowed Wallace’s terminology to try to put into words just how spectacular Aaron Judge’s development has been over the course of his career. What could easily have been a career relegated to little more than Herculean power and gale force whiffs, based strictly on his intimidating physical presence and penchant to hit a ball further than most humans are capable of, turned instead into a genuinely excellent all-around ballplayer with a habit of producing jaw-dropping moments on both sides of the ball.