Aaron Judge: Yankees Captaincy Would Be ‘An Incredible Honor’

The Yankees have not had a captain since Derek Jeter retired after the 2014 season.

There have been 11 officially recognized captains in Yankees history. Could No. 99 be No. 12?

Aaron Judge, appearing on “R2C2 with CC Sabathia and Ryan Ruocco,” was asked about potentially becoming New York’s next captain. No Yankee has held that title since Derek Jeter retired after the 2014 season.

“It would be an incredible honor,” Judge said. “I can’t even fathom that to be honest.”

Judge went on to acknowledge how former captains Jeter, Don Mattingly and Thurman Munson impacted the franchise and the sport. Each spent their entire careers in pinstripes. Judge’s future with the Yankees is uncertain as he enters the final year of his current deal. The 29-year-old told R2C2 that it would be “great” if he and the Yankees got an extension done before the season starts (and once the lockout ends).

If Judge were to remain in New York and become captain, he doesn’t think much would change. He’s already considered a leader in the locker room, a notion that Sabathia echoed on the podcast. The two played together from 2016-2019.

“It would be an incredible honor,” Judge repeated, “but nothing honestly would ever change. I’d still try to hold myself the same way, try to hold myself to the highest standard and be accountable and be there for my teammates. If there is a captain named or no captain named, I’m still going to go out there and just be Aaron Judge and try to be the best leader and teammate I can be every day.”

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