Aaron Judge is coming off one of the greatest offensive seasons in MLB history — hitting 62 home runs for the American League and New York Yankees single-season record and winning the AL MVP over two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
So, could the newly minted Yankees captain hit 62 home runs again?
“We’ll see,” Judge said through a smile at Yankees spring training on Monday. “I don’t like putting a number on it. I just like going out there trying to control what I can control, but you never know what could happen. So, we’ll see about 62.”
#Yankees Captain Aaron Judge on whether he could hit 62 home runs this year. pic.twitter.com/Wv6Q5AomIG
— Marly Rivera (@MarlyRiveraESPN) February 20, 2023
The expectations for Judge are certainly enormous this season as he begins the first year of a nine-year, $360 million contract he scored this offseason, which also came with the recognition as the new Yankees captain — a title that has not been held since Derek Jeter.
But, as with everything when it comes to Judge, the No. 1 goal remains trying to win a World Series.
“I got some goals written down but my individual stats always take care of themselves when I focus on the team,” Judge said. “The game always tells you what to do. If I’m up there thinking about trying to hit a homer, thinking about what my batting average is going to be, I’m probably going to walk away from that at-bat after three pitches or not have a good at-bat.
“So, it’s always been what the game brings you….get on base, get a walk. Do whatever I need to do to keep the line moving. With everything that transpired last season I try to still do what I did last year: take it one at-bat at a time and focus on helping this team win.”
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