The New York Yankees were able to salvage the final game of their series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending their West Coast visit on a high note after two harsh losses.
And while the series was under the spotlight as a rematch of last year’s World Series, it also featured the two most exciting players in baseball as Shohei Ohtani squared off against Aaron Judge.
As the Yankees have run away with the American League East division in the first third of the season, Judge is enjoying the best season of his career. He is slashing .391/.485/.764 — averages that lead all of baseball across the board — with 21 homers and a sport-leading 86 total hits.
But perhaps even more remarkable than his performance at the plate has been how Judge conducts himself as the captain of baseball’s most scrutinized franchise.
“Everybody just sees what he does on the field, and it’s like, ‘Man, he’s the best player,’” teammate Trent Grisham told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “But I think he’s more valuable in how he runs the clubhouse, how he carries himself, how he shoulders all of the media attention, all of the pressure here, and is still able to have a smile on his face and be the best guy in the clubhouse and taking care of everybody.”
Judge’s contributions off the field extended to a critical roster move this past winter when he recruited Paul Goldschmidt, a former Most Valuable Player Award winner with the St. Louis Cardinals, to join him in the Bronx via text message.
Follow The Sporting News On WhatsApp
“I remember shooting him the message,” Judge told Nightengale. “‘Hey man, we got a little vacancy at first base. I think you’d fit in perfect. This is the type of culture and environment I think you were born for.’”
It turned out to be a great move, as Goldschmidt has enjoyed a resurgence at the plate for the Yankees. He’s second to Judge for total hits and runs on the team.
“Aaron is the one who makes it great to be a Yankee,” Goldschmidt said. “He’s a big reason why you want to play here.”
More MLB: Cubs Kyle Tucker sends message on missing games after ‘alarm bells’ injury