New York Post

WONDER TWIN POWERS, ACTIVATE!

JUDGE, STANTON SET TO TAKE BATTING PRACTICE OUTDOORS TOGETHER FOR FIRST TIME: KING

- By GEORGE A. KING III george.king @nypost.com

TAMPA — Ever since early December — when the Yankees stunned the baseball galaxy by acquiring Giancarlo Stanton from the Marlins — the day fans of the long ball have been waiting for is here.

With the Yankees holding the first full-squad workout on Monday at George M. Steinbrenn­er Field, Aaron Judge and Stanton will take batting practice outdoors for the first time as teammates.

The Yankees are so drunk on the Towers of Power that they are opening the gates to spring training games an hour earlier at GMS Field so customers can track the flight of balls leaving the park and perhaps colliding with drones.

So, with first-year manager Aaron Boone and Judge saying the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year’s surgically repaired left shoulder is healthy enough to begin taking BP outdoors, the biggest question Sunday was this: Would Judge and Stanton be in the same BP group?

“We’ll see,’’ Boone said with a wide smile.

Judge, who has been hitting indoors, downplayed joining Stanton in the same group.

“I just hope to be in a hitting group, it doesn’t matter,’’ Judge said. “Any group I am in will be fine.’’

On the way out of GMS Field, Stanton said if he hits with Judge it will be the latest new thing he has encountere­d since arriving in camp on Friday.

“Everything will be new [Monday], but it will be cool,’’ Stanton said.

Asked if he ever believed he would be a Yankee, Stanton said, “It was a thought. I didn’t know it would happen so quick.’’

Of course, it won’t matter until March 29 when the Yankees open the season against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Until then, though, everybody will be expecting Judge and Stanton to put on power showers in BP and exhibition games after combining for 111 homers last season when Stanton was the NL’s MVP and Judge was the AL’s runner-up.

Due to Judge’s surgery in late October that removed loose bodies and cleaned up a cartilage issue in that left shoulder, he will be held out of the early exhibition games to make sure he is ready by Opening Day.

“We probably won’t play him in the first several games of spring. That is more of being cautious and to get him understand­ing it’s about being ready at the end of next month,’’ Boone said. “I think he really does understand that and has bought into that. Watching him working in the cage he is in a good place. He is real close but we will take it slow with him just because where he is and how important he is to our club.’’

A year ago Matt Holliday and Gary Sanchez gave and received trash talk from Judge during BP and in games after home runs. Sanchez remains and Stanton is the new face.

“Me and Gary will get into it a little bit, just having some fun,’’ Judge said. “We usually have one round where we all are kind of seeing how far we can hit it. There will be a little back and forth.’’

While there is always the fear that putting an emphasis on home runs could cause overall hitting woes, Judge embraces letting more people see batting practice.

“It will be good for the kids. I know a lot of kids like to come out and watch some guys hit some home runs and it will be a good opportunit­y for them,’’

he said.

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