The verdict is in. New York Yankees phenom Aaron Judge is the new face of Major League Baseball.
Move over Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Baseball has a new face and his name is Aaron Judge.
Tuesday, during a meeting with the Baseball Writers Association of America, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said that Judge is a player that can become the face of the game.
“Aaron Judge has been absolutely phenomenal,” Manfred said, per Newsday‘s David Lennon. “There is no other word to describe it. He is a tremendous talent on the field, a really appealing off-the-field personality, the kind of player that can become the face of the game.”
Notice that Manfred said that Judge can be the face of baseball, not that he will be or is.
He believes that the Yankees phenom isn’t the face of the sport yet, but has the potential to fill that role at some point. That’s high praise for a rookie from the guy that runs the sport.
While the Yankees outfielder appreciates the praise, he’s not worried or focused on becoming the face of anything.
“It’s pretty cool,” Judge told Mike Mazzeo of the New York Daily News. “But it’s not my job to worry about that. I’ve got a job to do on the field, and I feel like that other stuff will take care of itself.”
When asked by NJ.com’s Randy Miller about people saying that he’s the face of baseball, Judge said “I don’t know if I’m the face of baseball. I’m just out here to do a job and do the best I can.”
David Matranga of PSI Management, which represents Judge, told ESPN that Judge just wants to focus on the Yankees.
Judge is hitting .329 with 30 home runs and 66 RBI. He ranks in the top three in the American League in batting average and RBI. He leads the majors in home runs and won this year’s Home Run Derby during the All-Star festivities.
He has become a star and a household name. Baseball fans everywhere, not just Yankees fans, know who he is. He is a player that you want to see play and has made batting practice fun to watch.
Right now, Judge is baseball’s biggest star and will be for years to come. He’s a stud on the field, is friendly with the media and is just flat out fun to watch. Right now, he is the face of baseball. Case closed.
