Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Aaron Judge Reveals Birthday Gift for Gus

The New York Yankees superstar shared a birthday celebration with his dog, Gus Judge.
Erin Shapland|
Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) looks on in the dugout prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Oct 7, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) looks on in the dugout prior to the game against the Toronto Blue Jays during game three of the ALDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

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New York Yankees

Aaron Judge has that dog in him, but of course he has two beloved dogs outside of him as well. The New York Yankees superstar just shared an Instagram story featuring Gus Judge and Penny Judge, with a birthday cake for Gus.

The cake reads, "Happy Birthday Gus Bus", and Gus seems delighted. Penny can be seen in the background, lurking hungrily with a purple toy.

Aaron Judge's Instagram story, featuring dogs Gus and Penny Judge with a cake reading "Happy Birthday Gus Bus"
Aaron Judge's Instagram story, from @thejudge44, featuring dogs Gus and Penny Judge | Aaron Judge on Instagram, @thejudge44

The age of the dogs is uncertain, but they appear to only be a few years old, with Gus appearing on the field at Yankee Stadium in 2023 to jog around one of their favorite people. Gus and Penny are beloved in New York, with their own official plush toys in the Yankee Stadium Team Store this year. A portion of each sale went to a charity for dogs.

The pair also appeared in a Paw Patrol spin off called Rubble & Crew in 2024, with Samantha Judge lending her voice for Penny.

The GOAT and His Dogs

The dachshunds also stole the show when Judge won the 2025 AL MVP award, crawling all over the couch he shared with friends and family for the live stream, yawning and freaking out at loud noises. It was a similar scene to the Shohei Ohtani celebration for the NL MVP award, with Decoy Ohtani celebrating with Ohtani and his wife, receiving a big kiss when the Los Angeles Dodgers star won it for the fourth time.

Judge and his wife Samantha have Gus and Penny as well as a human child, their daughter Nora Rose, who they welcomed to the family back in February. The high school sweethearts married in 2021. This offseason, Judge went to support Samantha at this year's New York Marathon, which Samantha has participated in in previous years.

Judge's story also showed him taking some reps at a batting cage with an American flag sticker appearing overhead in the post. Judge will play in the World Baseball Classic for Team USA, serving as their captain for the March 2026 games, and playing internationally for the first time. Judge did not participate in the WBC in 2023, choosing instead to focus on the season ahead after inking a fairly recent contract.

Judge is a three-time AL MVP and seven-time All-Star entering his age 34 season with the Yankees, where he has played his entire career to date (since debuting in 2016). Judge will hope to win his first World Series ring in 2026, and all eyes are on the Yankees' slow offseason in the meantime.

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Erin Shapland
ERIN SHAPLAND

Erin covers the New York Yankees for On SI, reporting on all aspects of the championship chase that comes with a storied franchise. A fan of all storylines, who's looking to bring the latest news and updates to one of professional sports' greatest fanbases.

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