MIAMI \u2014 Six months ago, Aaron Judge could hardly throw a baseball. On Sunday night, Team USA\u2019s captain changed the entire World Baseball Classic with his right arm.<\/p>\n
With Team USA trailing 1-0 in the third inning of a highly anticipated semifinal matchup with the Dominican Republic, D.R. second baseman Ketel Marte clanged a two-out liner into right field. The fleet-footed Fernando Tatis Jr. rounded second and dashed toward third without breaking stride. Judge, all 6-foot-7, 282 pounds of him, charged to the bounding ball, gathered it into his 12.75-inch Rawlings glove and uncorked a 95.7-mph lightning bolt.<\/p>\n
The throw, Judge\u2019s hardest since the 2024 World Series, reached Gunnar Henderson at third base 2.3 seconds later. He slapped a tag down onto an outstretched Tatis, who tumbled to the turf, disappointed and very, very out. Juan Soto, who would\u2019ve hit next with two on and two out, trudged back to the dugout.<\/p>\n
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But Judge\u2019s throw did more than end a threat and an inning. It flipped the entire game on its head.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was just a rocket of a throw,\u201d Henderson told MLB Network\u2019s Jon Morosi after the game. \u201cHe\u2019s unbelievable for a reason. He got the boys fired up right there.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was beautiful,\u201d center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong gushed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat [throw] was huge,\u201d Bobby Witt Jr. said on the broadcast after the game.<\/p>\n
Henderson, the very next USA hitter, tied the proceedings with an electrifying solo shot to right field. Two batters later, Red Sox youngster Roman Anthony doubled things up with a big fly of his own. The Americans wouldn\u2019t score again the rest of the night. They wouldn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n
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A strong performance from Skenes and an absolutely dominant showing from the American bullpen propelled Team USA to a nail-biting, 2-1 victory over a Dominican team that had yet to lose in the World Baseball Classic<\/a>.<\/p>\n [Enter Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem now for your shot at $50K<\/a>]<\/p>\n The night was billed as a clash of titans, a showdown between the two most talented lineups ever assembled. Every single hitter in the Team D.R. lineup except catcher Austin Wells received an MVP vote in 2025. Team USA\u2019s top four hitters \u2014 Bobby Witt Jr, Bryce Harper, Judge and Kyle Schwarber \u2014 averaged 40 long balls last season.<\/p>\n As it turned out, pitching ruled the night<\/a>, and that kept the fireworks to a minimum. The game was more tense than exhilarating, more suspenseful than explosive, and it lacked a final act worthy of the stakes. Unfortunately, it might be remembered more for how it ended \u2014\u00a0with a brutal called third strike on Geraldo Perdomo \u2014 than how it transpired.<\/p>\n But nobody in attendance will forget Judge\u2019s laser beam of a throw.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n It was a remarkable play, one that seemed physically impossible toward the end of last season, when Judge was battling a significant elbow issue that left him compromised on defense. The Yankees superstar hit the injured list in July after being diagnosed with a flexor strain. He came back less than two weeks later but didn\u2019t appear in the outfield until early September and looked incredibly tentative when throwing upon his return.<\/p>\n A winter of rest seems to have done Judge\u2019s arm a world of good. When healthy, the three-time MVP has one of the hottest rockets in the sport, something Tatis and Co. relearned the hard way on Sunday.<\/p>\n Celebrated all tournament for their unapologetic, brash and exciting style of play, Team D.R. seemed to cocoon somewhat after Judge\u2019s play and the two fourth-inning long balls. Crucially, Judge\u2019s throw appeared to drastically alter how the Dominicans ran the bases for the rest of the evening. Caution, not aggression, suddenly ruled the day.<\/p>\n \u201cDoing something like that definitely puts that idea [in the other team\u2019s head],\u201d Crow-Armstrong explained afterward.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n [Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season<\/a>]<\/p>\n Case in point: Two innings after Tatis was cut down, he cautiously pulled up at second instead of racing toward third on another Marte single. The next batter, Juan Soto, grounded into an inning-ending double play.<\/p>\n