Evan Roberts opened Tuesday’s afternoons show by declaring that Jalen Brunson has surpassed Aaron Judge as the current king of New York sports, which opened up a larger debate about Judge’s career to this point.
For Chris McMonigle, it was further evidence that the disrespect surrounding the Yankee captain has gone way too far.
“The Yankees have been as big a brand over the last 100 years...and he is the best player to wear the uniform since Mickey Mantle,” McMonigle said. “As much as I love Jalen Brunson, Aaron Judge is so much more of a baseball player than Brunson is a basketball player. Judge is the premium player this side of Ohtani, who does both. Since Ohtani didn’t pitch last year, Judge is the best player in the game. Bar none. And yet, because we are strictly a postseason-oriented collective of people and sports fan, somehow, it doesn’t matter that he’s the best player in the game. That he’s so far and away the best hitter in the game. That he put up a season a right-handed hitter hasn’t had since World War II. Maybe ever.”
Judge is undeniably one of the best in baseball for years now, and has reached a Fall Classic despite mainly posting underwhelming numbers, but C-Mac says there is constant discourse around the homegrown superstar, and there will continue to be until Judge is celebrating the final out of the World Series, fair or not.
“He will be remembered for that dropped fly ball until he wins,” C-Mac said. “Aaron Judge has been to how many ALCS? He’s been to a World Series now. He didn’t play well, but Aaron Judge is Mickey Mantle. He is Joe DiMaggio...he’s the best hitter of this generation, and he’s not gonna be remembered or as beloved as them, like Derek Jeter, even though he is a far better player.”