Aaron Judge has been the anchor of New York Yankees hitting lineup since bursting into the scene back in 2016 as a rookie. He re-signed with the Bronx Bombers in a monumental 9-year $360 million deal in 2023 and became the captain of the lineup for the foreseeable future.
That being said, this year, the New York Yankees succeeded in adding more fire to the hitting lineup by acquiring Juan Soto from the Padres. However, in an interesting revelation, Aaron Judge revealed that before he joined hands with Soto in pinstripes, the dynamic slugging duo could have been teammates at San Diego Padres.
Aaron Judge Reveals How He Came Close To Signing With Padres In 2023!
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge once played hard to get when he entered free agency in the 2022 off-season, right after scripting an all-time high home run record for which he ended up receiving his career maiden MVP title. However, Judge knew his worth and decided to explore the market. While he repeatedly said that his heart remained in New York, Judge’s trips across the state indicated that he wanted to inflate his market. And the strategy worked. The slugger traveled to California, where he met San Diego Padres’ owner Peter Seidler, who has now passed away. In the latest interview, Judge confessed that he was moved by Seidler’s gestures towards his family, and he was certain that Peter was a true owner.
Not only that, Aaron Judge revealed that when he drove into the meeting with Peter Seidler back in 2022, the idea of being teammates with generational star Juan Soto did cross his mind. However, the duo couldn’t become teammates then as Judge ended up returning to New York after owner Hal Steinbrenner‘s intervention. Regardless, the Yankee front office fulfilled Judge’s wishes as they traded Soto from the Padres this off-season, and the dynamic hitting has been owing the league since. In over 50 games, the duo has hit 31 homers combined as the Yankees sit comfortably at the top of the AL-East table, posing a 37-18 record. On the other hand, the San Diego Padres stumbled to third place in NL-West with a 28-28 record as bad financial decisions not only cost them Judge but also Soto, a generational superstar slugger.
Judge Lands Back In MVP Conversation After Surreal Resurgence
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge left a trail of destruction into opposition as his May month stretch is smashing all records. After a .170 start in April, Judge has bounced back with a .391 average, nine home runs, 11 doubles and a ridiculous 1.475 OPS in the past 21 games played in the month of May.
This ridiculous resurgence has propelled Aaron Judge to fourth place in MLB and third in the AL with a 3.0 fWAR. Not only that, the captain’s strong impact and contributions to the offense has guided Yankees to the top of AL-East with 37-18 record. And with a large half of the season yet to unfold, Judge currently continues to lead the AL-MVP race.
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