"He helped his team win World Series" - When Aaron Judge humbly chose Astros superstar as his AL MVP pick
Aaron Judge is no stranger to racking up stats, home runs and accolades. The New York Yankees captain has been one of the most dominant players in the MLB since his first full-time season back in 2017. The towering outfielder has continually left fans speechless with his seemingly limitless raw power dating back to that incredible first year.
During the 2017 season, Aaron Judge put the league on notice thanks to his otherworldly performance. He put together one of the best rookie campaigns as he racked up 52 home runs, 114 RBIs and a .284 batting average.
Aaron Judge sat down with Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman for an episode of "First Take" in October 2017 to discuss his season and who he feels should be named the American League MVP. He did not dub himself the league's MVP and instead said that it belongs to Jose Altuve.
"[5:30] My pick is going for Jose Altuve for what he's done for the city of Houston," Judge said. "The coolest thing about Jose, what I've noticed throughout the year is how consistent he was."
There is no denying the impact that Altuve had on the Astros' success as he posted an MLB-leading .346 batting average with 24 home runs, 81 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.
"[5:48] Probably the biggest thing is he helped his team win, they won a World Series. That's what it's all about when it really comes down to it is how can you help your team win and Jose did that throughout the whole year."
Ultimately, Aaron Judge's statement came to fruition as the diminutive infielder was named the AL MVP. Judge finished second in voting with Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians third.
Aaron Judge's tone about Jose Altuve and the 2017 Houston Astros would change dramatically a few years later
Despite the level of play and MVP Award, Jose Altuve and the rest of the 2017 Houston Astros will always be marked with an asterisk. There will constantly be question marks about the productivity of any player on the team during that campaign as a result of their high-profile sign-stealing scandal.
Years after their 2017 World Series victory, former Astros pitcher Mike Fiers came forward and revealed that the team used a series of cameras and trashcans to steal signs from their opponents.
Once the news of the scandal broke, the MLB universe was turned upside-down with several players, including Aaron Judge, expressing their disappointment and disgust at the situation.
"I had a lot of respect for those guys and what they did, especially what they did for the city of Houston and that whole organization," Judge said via ESPN in February 2020. And then to find out that it wasn't earned, they cheated -- that didn't sit well with me."
Despite the scandal, the Houston Astros are still the 2017 World Series champions and Jose Altuve is the AL MVP that year. The sign-stealing scandal remains one of the most controversial moments in MLB history.