After all the talk, after all the apprehension, and after all the worry, Aaron Judge decides to return to the Yankees in one of the largest contracts ever signed. Despite what everyone was predicting after the 2022 season, and even looking for the slightest context clues from Judge himself. But after all of it, he’s back!
With the Yankees locking Judge down for the next nine years, they will continue to build the lineup around him and even more, the entire team. He has proved how valuable of a player that he is over his career and he doesn’t seem to have any signs of slowing down either.
As a player that truly possesses all five tools that make a player great, his value to not only the team, but the organization as a whole is unparalleled. After putting up a record-breaking season of 62 home runs in 2022, his spot as a power hitter would be enough to make him extremely valuable. However, his defense and speed have truly set him apart from anyone that even comes close.
Keeps Getting Better
At the height of 6-foot-7, he accomplishes things on the baseball diamond that simply shouldn’t be possible. Despite having some of the longest arms in the MLB, he has one of the most compact and balanced swings in the entire league.
Judge’s swing has tremendous power, but he is able to control it from start to finish. Over the last few years, he has improved his contact rates immensely and has brought his strikeout rates down. He is able to generate his power with almost no movement in his swing.
He has learned how to use his body more as his career has progressed, which has allowed him to make significant improvements offensively and defensively. As he is squarely in his prime at the age of 30 years old, his improvements shouldn’t be going anywhere, anytime soon.
The New Captain
Ever since Yankees’ legendary shortstop, Derek Jeter retired in 2014, the Yankees have been without a Captain of the franchise. With the re-signing of Aaron Judge, this would be the perfect time for the Yankees’ front office to crown him the new Captain.
Judge has more than proved himself on the field, and he is also very well-liked off the field as well. His personality follows him wherever he goes, and he is exactly the kind of man that the Yankee organization would deem worthy of receiving the title of “Captain.”
He’s especially deserving of such a reward after the details of his offers from other teams were leaked after his eventual re-signing with the Yankees. The San Diego Padres presented Judge with an offer that reportedly was even more extreme than what the Yankees offered him. Despite being offered more money, Judge decided to stay loyal to the pinstripes, which defiantly adds some points to his character.
Judge has made it clear over the last couple of seasons that “New York has my heart”, and he didn’t back down from those words. He is about as deserving as anyone can be for the “Captain” title, and the Yankees organization wouldn’t be smart to decide against it.
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Statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com
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