In Photos: Aaron Judge's All Rise Foundation Gala lights up with a star-studded Yankees lineup to inspire the youth
Aaron Judge is a hugely popular figure as the captain of the New York Yankees. With great fame comes great responsibility and Judge tries to be a great role model in all aspects of his life and all things considered, he does an excellent job of it.
One of his most recent successes away from the baseball field came with his All Rise Foundation, which aims to inspire and develop youngsters. The foundation provides mini-grants for education and offers programs to help young people reach their potential.
Aaron Judge hosted the All Rise Foundation Gala in New York City on Thursday, which featured a star-studded MLB lineup. In attendance were DJ LeMahieu, Carlos Rodon, Anthony Volpe and Nestor Cortés Jr. of the Yankees, as well as manager Aaron Boone.
There was also free agent Corey Kluber, Tyler Wade of the San Diego Padres, Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Toronto Blue Jays and Mike Tauchman of the Chicago Cubs.
The foundation has invested $47,000 in sending 1,767 students to leadership conferences, hosted 775 kids at baseball camps, given $72,500 in mini-grants and sponsored a walk, among other initiatives.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees hoping offseason additions to make the difference in 2024
While his foundation is doing great work off the field, Aaron Judge will be hoping to lead the Yankees to a better season in 2024. The 2023 campaign saw New York suffer a variety of injuries from which they couldn't fully recover and as such, the Yankees finished 82-80, fourth in the AL East and missed the playoffs.
With Juan Soto and Marcus Stroman headlining the winter's acquisitions for NY, they will be hoping that they have added enough to their roster to turn 2023's close defeats into close wins.
If Aaron Judge can stay healthy in 2024, there is every reason to believe the Yankees have both the pitching and the hitting to push them deep into the postseason. New York is currently third for World Series odds, behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves.
While the pressure to succeed is always intense in the Big Apple, with all eyes on the Dodgers in 2024 the Yankees could be in a great position to quietly go about their business.