Yankees Name Aaron Judge 16th Captain in Franchise History
Aaron Judge has acted like a captain in pinstripes for much of his career with the Yankees.
Now, he officially has that title.
During a press conference to announce that Judge has re-signed with the Yankees—on a record-setting deal worth $360 million over nine years—owner Hal Steinbrenner confirmed that the superstar slugger will be the 16th captain in franchise history, just the second since 1996.
Steinbrenner hinted at this coming to fruition earlier this offseason, telling YES Network that he "would consider" naming Judge captain if the outfielder returned in free agency.
Judge's teammates implored the organization to make that decision and declaration as well. Nestor Cortes and Anthony Rizzo are among those who said Judge should be captain at the conclusion of the 2022 season, a campaign that featured 62 home runs (a new American League record) and Judge's first Most Valuable Player Award.
Judge joins Yankees legends Derek Jeter, Thurman Munson, Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly, Willie Randolph and more as captains of this illustrious franchise. Both Jeter and Randolph were in attendance at New York's press conference at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday.
"It's such an honor," Judge said. "I'm just really blessed to be a part of this organization for nine more years and finish my career here."
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