When Aaron Judge revealed that he didn't expect to be drafted by the Yankees, had West Coast teams in mind
New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge once revealed that he did not anticipate being drafted by the team. Instead, he held high hopes of being drafted by West Coast teams like the San Diego Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
In a three-month-old interview with MLB, Aaron Judge recalled the MLB Draft 2013 and narrated the scenario:
"The ones I saw the most interest from were a lot of West Coast teams for the most part; Arizona, San Diego. I went to a couple of their pre-Draft workouts, so I kind of thought those were some of the teams that might show some interest and potentially draft me."
He added:
"The Yankees were the last ones on my mind, because I really didn't talk to them that much. I had a meeting with one of their mental conditioning guys, but other than that, there wasn't much contact."
And, on the final day, it was announced that the Yankees would pick Aaron Judge.
Aaron Judge shared:
"Usually, you get a call from your agent ahead of time saying, 'We just spoke to this team, and we think they're going to take you with this pick.' I didn't hear anything.
"The funny thing is, moments before that pick, I actually almost got up and went to the bathroom. I kind of had an idea of where I was going to go, so I figured I'd go to the bathroom here in the next couple picks, then come back and hopefully get drafted. Right before I stood up to go to the bathroom, they said, 'With the 32nd pick, the Yankees take Aaron Judge.'"
Apparently, the Yankees' pick took Judge by complete surprise.
Aaron Judge was selected as the American League Rookie of the Year in 2017
New York Yankees star Judge made his MLB debut on Aug. 13, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Rays. Judge was selected the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year following an incredible debut season. He received all 30 first-place votes, making him the clear winner.
Aaron Judge:
2017 HR Derby Champion
2017 Rookie of the Year
2022 AL MVP
2022 Times Magazine Athlete of the Year
3x Silver Slugger
4x All-Star
AL HR Record Holder
And now, he's the 16th captain of the New York Yankees. One of the greatest to ever don the pinstripes. https://t.co/afSAv4Pjjh
"Now, he's the 16th captain of the New York Yankees. One of the greatest to ever don the pinstripes." - Fireside Yankees
Cut to the present, Judge had a once-in-a-lifetime MLB season in 2022. With his 62nd home run, he surpassed Roger Maris' American League single-season home run record.
Additionally, after a long contract saga and signing in free agency, Judge resigned with the New York Yankees to a nine-year, $360 million contract.