TAMPA — Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner has a same message for fearless Aaron Judge every time he sees the 6-foot-7, 270-pound giant steamrolling close to the right field wall trying to make a great catch:

“Stay away from those fences!”

Gardner doesn’t want the see something bad happening to the face of the Yankees, who doesn’t have the best of knees at age 26.

As for himself, Gardner is like Judge in the field. He can’t help himself.

Playing center field in Friday’s Grapefruit League game, Gardner went all out in the first inning chasing after Boston Red Sox first baseman Steve Pearce’s two-out, runner-on-third blast to very deep center

This was a spring game, so no one would have cared if Gardner had played it safe by stopping at the warning track, playing the ball off the wall and holding Pierce to a double.

Instead, Gardner kept going hard while taking the proper angle, then he went into a leap about a foot from the wall and stuck his glove hand up to make a terrific grab while crashing right-shoulder first into the padded wall at Steinbrenner Field.

“That was great,” Judge said after a 14-1 Yankees win in which Gardner was 1-for-2 with a single and sacrifice fly playing the first four innings. “That fired me up. He’s a hell of an outfielder, man. You could put him anywhere. You can put him in left field, center field or right and he’ll get the job done. For him to get back on that ball … It’s good awareness. He always yells at me to stay away from those fences, but that was one of those balls he knew he could catch.”

Coming off a down season, Gardner has been one of the most impressive Yankees this spring. In addition to playing his usual terrific defense, his .450 average over 20 at-bats in nine games is tops among Yankees regulars.

“He’s had quite a spring this year,” Judge added. “He’s fired up. There’s a little extra pep in his step. It’s been fun to watch.”

Gardner has extra motivation because some people were wondering if he was near the end as a player after he hit .236 last season with 12 homers, 45 RBI and a .690 OPS, numbers that dwarfed his .264 average with 21 homers, 63 RBI and .778 OPS in 2017.

The Yankees’ response to last season was paying Gardner a $2 million buyout instead of exercising a $12.5 million club option for 2019, then re-signing the 35-year-old on a one-year, $7.5 million deal that is a $2.5 million pay cut.

No matter, Gardner is determined as ever to get a second World Series ring to go with the one that he won as a young player in 2009.

“He’s a pretty motivated,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I don’t believe there’d be much change whether he’s coming off a monster season or a season where it’s up and down little bit. He’s at a point in his career where there’s a hunger to win, and that’s kind of what he keeps showing up now.”

Gardner knows spring training stats good or bad won’t be remembered, but he’s still excited that his spring is going well.

“The way that I struggled the last few months of last season, it’s nice to come in and feel good at the plate,” he said. “I’m focused on the process and knowing how I have to prepare for the season. It’s not a case of worrying about what people think.”

What some Yankees fans were thinking last fall was that Gardner would be bought out and replaced in left this season by youngster Clint Frazier or free agent Bryce Harper.

Harper, after being on the market until early in spring training, signed with the Phillies for a record $330 and Frazier, after announcing on Twitter and to reporters that he’s gunning for Gardner’s job, hasn’t made a big challenge.

Like last season and every one since 2010, Gardner is the Yankees’ starting left fielder, although he could open the season in center – his usual 2008 and 2009 spot – because starter Aaron Hicks is running out of time to be ready for Opening Day due to a supposed minor back issue that has lingered for two weeks.

‘I could play in left field for six years straight and I’d still feel more comfortable going out to center field tomorrow,” Gardner said. “You see the ball better off the bat and it’s an easier position to play.”

Gardner was a a Gold Glove left fielder in 2016 and he looked the part in center on Thursday.

“Look, we love him in that (locker) room for a lot of reasons,” Boone said. “The way he goes about things and the competitor that he is, just because it’s a spring training game … especially when he gets on defense, he’s going to go catch the ball.”

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RandyJMiller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.