As the 2022 season wears on, the New York Yankees still have their sights set on extending Aaron Judge after an immaculate season.
Longtime New York Post writer and reporter Jon Heyman published an interesting article yesterday evening, discussing a few big-name free agents’ expected decisions this upcoming offseason. He talks about Aaron Judge, and how apparently, executives around the league are expecting him to stay put in the Bronx.
Heyman wrote:
“Most expect the Yankees to re-sign AL MVP shoo-in Judge even though there was a big gap in talks when they broke for the season, and it doesn’t always work out the way we think or expect (see Freddie Freeman, now happy as a Dodger). As one rival GM put it, “They have to keep him, don’t they?” We’d certainly think so”
Judge would most definitely be the recipient of one of the largest — if not the largest — contract handed out in team history, as the Yankees’ superstar could easily warrant $35 million + per year.
- Yankees’ super-utility man is seeing his numbers plummet back down to Earth
- Yankees’ $98 million slugger in the middle of another ice-cold stretch
- Yankees could see this interesting pitching prospect get an MLB promotion
This season has been the Aaron Judge Legacy Year, and there’s no telling what records he will go on to shatter this month. He has been the very embodiment of what it means to be a New York Yankee, and his involvement with the fans and community speak bounds about the type of person he is.
His All-Rise Foundation that he started in 2018 (immediately after his ROY campaign) helps inspire and give back to the youth of today, so they may become the leaders of tomorrow. He has done countless humanitarian work in both California and New York and has done it with a smile from ear-to-ear.
Judge does it all, on and off the field for the New York Yankees:
On the field, there’s no one as captivating as Aaron Judge, and that is a fact. For him to be able to do what he does on a daily basis, whilst donning the “heavy” Pinstripes with ease, doesn’t get talked about enough. He feels no pressure, and he is built for the biggest of occasions in the brightest lights.
There’s no denying his impact on the game, as he is clearly the face of the league and consistently tops the jersey sales charts. The Judge’s Chambers sole existence is predicated on Aaron Judge not only existing but being an amazing baseball player. Simply put, Aaron Judge helps put money in Hal Steinbrenner’s pockets, and the Yankees continue to grow as a brand and organization.
The Yankees franchise is worth roughly $7 billion according to recent Forbes reports, and with YES and Legends continuing to grow and expand, the money is there for Hal to spend.
Aaron Judge should undoubtedly be the MVP this year, as his 51 HR currently leads the AL by 20, and many are bracing for him surpassing Roger Maris’ 61 HR that he hit in ’61.
Judge’s season has been electric, earth-shattering, jaw-dropping, and every other adjective one could possibly think of. He’s OPSing 1.062, with a 196 wRC+ (remember, 100 is league average), and soaring high with an 8.3 fWAR (on pace for 10+). There are no words to describe this dominance, and without him, the team would be jawing with Baltimore in both the division, and postseason race.
Judge’s impact cannot be emphasized enough, and for once I see very similarly to Heyman in that there is no way Hal Steinbrenner can let the franchise player of all players walk.