...I just don't want some meaningless exhibition somehow alter his normal hitting approach for down the road...yes, he's hit a lot of bombs this year but he's also drastically improved his making contact rate while decreasing his strikeout rate from last year...what I'm saying is that in addition to hitting HRs Judge is also hitting a lot of singles and doubles and he's also now willing to take pitches and walking a lot more than ever before which is part of the reason why he's actually scoring more runs than he is producing RBIs. (leading the AL in OBP)(.434)
...I see Judge as being in the same type of hitter as Mike Trout and Miguel Cabrera, who both hit a lot of HRs, but also go with the pitch and spray the ball to the opposite field when needed...and both Trout and Miggy are apprehensive about participating in the HR Derby.
...If Judge decides to participate, yeah, I'll pull for him to win and not saying that the HR Derby will definitely hurt Judge's normal hitting approach, just that it possibly could and I'd hate to see it wreck his second half of the season...plus Judge doesn't seem to be the kind of player who relishes a lot of attention.