Aaron Judge won his career first AL MVP award in 2022 wherein he scripted the all-time high league record for hitting most home runs in a single season. The New York Yankees captain fetched a nine-year $360 million extension shortly after and became the captain of the stored franchise.
That being said, while a toe injury led to an underwhelming season last year, Aaron Judge has regained his old form this year. He is heading towards what could be another MVP caliber season and his teammate Nestor Cortes backed his captain to achieve the unthinkable again by the end of the year.
Nestor Cortes Reflects On Aaron Judge’s Sensational Season
New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes has expressed strong confidence in his teammate Aaron Judge, predicting that the captain may be on track for another MVP season. This season, Judge has been putting up impressive numbers, leading the league in home runs, RBIs, and on-base percentage. His ability to change the game with a single swing makes him a perennial MVP candidate. And the captain certainly has the numbers to back him up. Across 102 games, Judge is hitting .307 with 35 home runs, 89 RBIs, and a startling 1.106 OPS. Notably, Judge is already halfway through the 62-home run magical mark, and with the extraordinary numbers, the captain is also leading the MVP race.
That being said, in a detailed chat with Sportskeeda, New York Yankees starting pitcher Nestor Cortes reflected on Aaron Judge’s growth as a Yankee. Having seen Judge’s rise to stardom up close and personal, the Cuban pitcher insisted that Judge’s 2024 season has shades of the 2022 iconic year. “Every at-bat, it’s like, ‘OK, he’s gonna hit a homer. Oh, he missed that. OK, he’s gonna homer next time,” Cortes said. Not only that, the pitcher mentioned that to have a hitter with over 1.000 OPS in the middle of the lineup is nothing short of a privilege for the team. On top of that, this year, the Yanks have two such hitters, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Soto has always been equally impressive as a Yankee slugger this year. Judge and Soto have stacked over 50 home runs together with 100 RBIs combined. And amid a challenging stretch, the dynamic duo has been the only constant for the Yanks.
Aaron Judge Address Clubhouse Tensions After Mets Sweep
With the New York Yankees losing 22 games off the past 35 stretch, Aaron Judge revealed that the clubhouse atmosphere is still high-spirited. He added that they have quality ball players on the roster who would not let a couple of bad stretches swoop into their heads and destroy their confidence.
“It’s a game of failure, but you’ve got to stay confident,” Aaron Judge said in a press conference. Overall, the New York Yankees captain firmly believed that the Yanks could write their own destiny going forward. It all boils down to how the team conducts themselves on the field and absorbs the pressure. “We just gotta play better. That’s what it comes down to,” Judge added.
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