Aaron Judge works overhand pitching in indoor cages for first time, Yankees take field for batting practice

Tuesday afternoon’s Yankees batting-practice session looked routine on the surface, with the lineup filtering onto the field and coaches organizing timing and swing routes. But manager Aaron Boone directed attention to what was happening just a short walk from home plate, where the team had moved Judge’s work into the indoor cages.

According to Boone, Judge was taking swings against overhand pitching in those indoor cages for the first time. Boone’s comment, made while the team was on the field for batting practice, underscored that this was not merely a change of scenery, but an adjustment in the type of delivery the slugger was seeing as he continued to build his hitting routine.

In practical terms, indoor cages allow a hitter to stay in a controlled environment while adjusting to pitching that better resembles live delivery. The Yankees, per the report, appeared to be using that benefit to test whether Judge could track an overhand arm path and square the ball at the pace and angle he would expect once the club turns fully toward more game-like work.

Boone’s decision to point out the progression also indicated that the Yankees are calibrating how they manage high-leverage reps late in the season. For a player whose value is tied to timing and pitch recognition, the shift from general batting practice to facing overhand pitching is a recognizable checkpoint. It suggests the organization believes Judge is ready for the next layer of his on-field work, even if the broader timeline is still being built day to day.

For the Yankees, this kind of progression matters beyond one player’s comfort. Their offense has leaned heavily on the slugger’s ability to turn at-bats into power opportunities, especially when games tighten late. A more overhand-focused batting-practice approach can help align his swing with the pitcher’s release, which is one of the key differences between many simplified batting-practice deliveries and the timing demands of regular-season baseball.

What to watch next is how the indoor work translates. The most telling indicators will be whether Judge continues to see overhand deliveries as his session evolves, and whether the Yankees increase the complexity of the reps after this first step. Another practical question will be how the team structures the rest of the hitters’ work around that timeline, since a star’s ramp-up often determines when the club can shift from individualized reps to more connected lineup patterns.

For now, the most concrete takeaway is straightforward: the Yankees’ Tuesday batting-practice plan included a first-time element for Judge, facing overhand pitching in the indoor cages. In a season where small delays and incremental adjustments can carry outsized consequences, the first appearance of overhand batting-practice work is a step the Yankees will monitor closely. If it holds up, it can become the platform for the next progression in preparation, whatever that next phase looks like.