"I thought it was a little outside too" - When Aaron Judge went undercover as umpire to surprise Yankees fans
There are few professional athletes who have captured their fanbases like New York Yankees star Aaron Judge has. He is the captain of one of the most recognizable professional teams in all sports and one of the best players in the MLB.
Meeting him and having a conversation with him is something fans can only dream of. However, some were lucky enough to get that opportunity as Judge went undercover in 2022.
Judge and late-night talk show host Jimmy Fallon surprised some fans who thought they were having their picture taken at Yankee Stadium Fallon went undercover as the catcher and Judge as the umpire, making tons of fans' days.
"Yeah, I thought that was a little outside too. We're on the same page here, he's got a good eye" said Judge.
Fans were absolutely flabbergasted when Fallon and Judge revealed themselves. Some fans could not hold back their emotions while other fans seemed too shocked to let any of their feelings go.
This goes to show how much Judge means to this fanbase. Luckily for them, he is on contract until 2031.
Aaron Judge shortly signed his nine-year deal with the Yankees following his Jimmy Fallon appearance
Following the end of the 2022 season, Aaron Judge's contract with the Yankees expired. He was now a free agent and wanted to test the waters.
He and where he may potentially sign became the talk of the offseason. He was watched closely as he met with team after team after team, trying to come up with a new contract.
There were times when his future in the pinstripes was seriously up for debate. Judge was heavily pursued by the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants
The Padres made him an offer that he almost did not turn down. They offered him a $400 million contract, but it still was not enough to pull the slugger away from the Bronx.
In December, Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million deal. It made him one of the highest-paid players at the time, earning an AAV of $40 million.
With the recent signing over the last two years, Judge is now the third-highest-paid player in the league. He comes after Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto who just claimed the top spot a few weeks ago with his monster contract with the New York Mets.