Aaron Judge already has the richest contract in Yankees’ 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 Yankees’ first captain since Derek Jeter retired and it was up to Steinbrenner whether Judge would be up next.

The announcement was made with Jeter sitting near Judge on the dais during the press conference at the Stadium announcing Judge’s new contract, and with another former captain, Willie Randolph, in the audience.

“Not only great baseball players, but great ambassadors of the game and great ambassadors of the New York Yankees,’’ Judge said. “This is an incredible honor I don’t take lightly.”

Steinbrenner told Judge of his decision during their phone call when they finalized his new deal with the Yankees.

Judge said Steinbrenner asked him: “What’s the holdup? What will it take to get this to the finish line?”

That’s when the topic of captaincy came up. Steinbrenner told Judge his favorite players were Thurman Munson and Willie Randolph, both former captains named by George Steinbrenner.

“I was at a loss for words,’’ Judge said.

It puts Judge in a rare category.

“Yankee fans are big on history and tradition,’’ Jeter said. “It’s not a title that’s thrown around too lightly.”

And it gives Judge “a chance to continue something the Yankees are so big on, which is legacy,’’ Judge said.

“I get a chance to continue my legacy here in pinstripes, in the best city in the world, the best baseball city, in front of the best fans.”

Several of Judge’s current teammates, including Anthony Rizzo and Nestor Cortes, campaigned for Judge to be named captain during the season, given the leadership he has shown throughout his career.

It’s why Jeter doesn’t expect much difference in Judge going forward.

“Off my own experience, when The Boss called me, he said ‘Don’t change anything,’ ” Jeter said of his conversation with George Steinbrenner in 2003. “It’s not like you flip a switch and have to be someone else because you’ve been given this title. I would assume he’s been handling himself like a captain up until this point, which is why they named him captain. It’s a new title.”

After Lou Gehrig retired in 1939, the Yankees didn’t have a captain until Munson in 1976. Munson was followed by Graig Nettles, Randolph, Ron Guidry, Don Mattingly and Jeter.