Aaron Judge is the heart of the New York Yankees. Ever since he debuted in 2016, the slugger has brought a change in approach to the Yanks. With his aggressive intent, the slugger influenced the Yanks to adopt an offensive strategy. Moreover, after winning the rookie of the year award in 2017, the 30-year-old earned four all-stars.
2022 was a breakthrough year for Aaron Judge. He won his first AL MVP and was named the AP Athlete of the year. In the 2022 MLB season, Judge surpassed the all-time record of scoring the most home runs in a single MLB season. The slugger hit his 62nd home run against Texas Rangers and broke the previous record held by Roger Maris. However, the upcoming season’s projection of the slugger could be a bit disappointing for the fans. Still, Aaron Judge is expected to have yet another fruitful season.
Aaron Judge’s 2023 Projections Are Out! Check Out What’s In Store For The Slugger
Is another big season in store for the reigning AL MVP? pic.twitter.com/zXi7zCJsHC
— MLB (@MLB) January 19, 2023
2022 was undoubtedly the most exciting year of Aaron Judge’s career. He broke all the records that came his way. However, the Yankees, unfortunately, failed to move past Houston Astros in the ALCS and were eventually knocked out. Despite the slugger’s meaningful contributions, the team couldn’t end their 13-year-long championship wait. However, this year, the Bombers’ front office is adamant about making every possible move to end the jinx.
Meanwhile, MLB has issued 2023 FanGraphs projections for the Yankees slugger, now captain Aaron Judge. According to the predictions, the slugger is expected to hit 44 home runs with 106 RBIs and 111 total runs. The number of homers is likely to come down significantly from the previous year. However, anything around 44 could still be the third-highest of his entire career. Understandably, it’s difficult to replicate such an extraordinary number in back-to-back seasons.
Yankees Name Aaron As The Captain Of The Team For the 2023 season
Aaron Judge’s contract with the Yankees ended in 2022. Despite having an extraordinary season, the slugger expressed his disappointment over the team’s performance in the ALCS and decided to opt out. Moreover, he held talks with the San Francisco Giants, and both parties reached a contract agreement. However, days before the announcement, Yankees owner, Hal Steinbrenner, stepped in and talked to Aaron Judge personally. He managed to convince the slugger to stay by increasing his remuneration and giving him the freedom to build his team.
Hence, Aaron Judge signed a nine-year extension contract with the New York Yankees worth $360 million, the highest offered to a player of his position in the history of MLB. Moreover, the Yanks front office named Aaron the team captain from the 2023 season onwards. The slugger will be the 16th player in the club’s history to hold the position. The office, previously held by Derek Jeter, who retired in 2014 after representing the Yanks for nearly 20 years, will now be led by Aaron Judge.
