"Derek Jeter played like somebody was coming for his job" - Aaron Judge opens up about pressure of being MLB's gold standard with Shohei Ohtani
Thursday's MVP announcements saw two unanimous MVP selections in Aaron Judge (American League) and Shohei Ohtani (National League), a rare feat in US sports. Judge and Ohtani put up historic seasons, and that has been the case for the last few years.
Before this season, Judge and Ohtani played in the same league, the AL. That resulted in Ohtani coming out on top two times (in 2021 and 2023) and Judge once (in 2022). Had they been in different leagues, they would have been crowned MVPs at the same time. But now thanks to Ohtani going to the Dodgers, who play in the NL, both can put their name on the honor.
Aaron Judge, who was with his wife Samantha during the AL MVP announcement, was asked by the network to be the gold standard alongside Ohtani in baseball. The New York Yankees captain credited former leader Derek Jeter for inculcating a never-take get-gray mentality.
"I think people are always coming for the spot, so you’ve got to keep putting in the work" Judge said on MLB Network (2:30 onwards). "That’s one thing I learned at a young age. Even being in New York and watching Derek Jeter for so many years, and talking with him, he played every single game and every single season like somebody was coming for his job.
"He passed that mindset down to the next generation. I think you could ask all three of the guys—Juan, Bobby, and myself—and we’d all agree. It doesn’t matter if you’re at the top or wherever you’re at; someone is always coming for you, always coming for that spot. You’ve got to put in the work, continue to make changes, and try to improve yourself until the day they rip this jersey off."
Yankees manager Aaron Boone congratulates Aaron Judge for "distinguished honor"
Praise came for Aaron Judge from all corners following his unanimous MVP selection, the second of his career. Among them was Yankees manager Aaron Judge, who sent his well wishes across.
“I want to congratulate Aaron on earning this distinguished honor, and I couldn’t be happier for such an amazing person and leader,” Boone said in a statement. “After having a front-row seat for his 2022 MVP performance, I really couldn’t envision a player having a better and more complete baseball season. But that’s exactly what he accomplished in 2024.
“I’m beyond fortunate to be able to manage Aaron, and I look forward to watching him further cement his legacy as one of this generation’s greatest players.”
Aaron Judge's season got off to a slow star, hitting only .197 as late as May 2. However, he turned things around in the second half of the season, ending with an impressive slashline of .322/.458/.701 apart from leading the majors in homers (58), RBIs (144), on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.159), walks (133), times on base (322 and position player fWAR (11.2).
However, Judge couldn't lead the Yankees to win the World Series, losing the confetti to Shohei Ohtani's Dodgers in five games.