Aaron Judge already has the Yankees’ richest contract in history and the franchise’s home run record, so it hardly comes as a surprise that he’s now the team’s newest captain.
Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner made the announcement at the Stadium on Wednesday, as the Yankees had a press conference for Judge’s newly signed nine-year, $360 million deal. Judge is the 16th captain in franchise history.
“It goes without saying what an honor that is,” Judge said, noting some of the previous team captains. “That’s a pretty good list right there. Not only great baseball players, but great ambassadors of the game and great ambassadors of the New York Yankees. … This is an incredible honor that I don’t take likely.”
Judge, who hit 62 home runs last season, is the Yankees’ first captain since Derek Jeter retired — Jeter and fellow former team captain Willie Randolph attended the press conference — and it was up to Steinbrenner whether Judge would be up next.
Steinbrenner told the YES Network this offseason that making Judge the captain would be “something we would consider” if Judge ended up back with the Yankees.
After visiting with his hometown San Francisco Giants and taking a last-minute meeting in San Diego with the Padres during the Winter Meetings, Judge opted to remain in The Bronx.
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The deal became official on Tuesday, when Judge passed a physical.
A number of Judge’s teammates campaigned for Judge to become the new captain, including Anthony Rizzo and Nestor Cortes.
And general manager Brian Cashman said he supported the idea at the Winter Meetings.
“Some people have already acted as if they’re the captain without a title,’’ Cashman said. “We’ve had a leader of our franchise already [in Judge]. If somebody at the owner’s level like Hal Steinbrenner wants to place the captaincy [on Judge], there’s no issues from my end. Aaron Judge has been a leader of this franchise in every way, shape and form.”
When Jeter retired in 2015, Cashman said the “captaincy should be retired with number 2. I wouldn’t give up another captain title to anybody else… He was so good and so perfect for that.”
But he said this month that Judge would be a good choice.
“Certainly, I shared my feelings out of respect to Derek Jeter and the career he had and the legacy he left,’’ Cashman said. “I felt it was appropriate to state that I’m not sure if we ever need one again. But that doesn’t mean if someone else is worthy, that emerges [that they shouldn’t be captain]. And clearly in Aaron Judge’s case, he is spectacular.”
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