There is a Judge’s Chambers we all see in right field.
And a Judge’s Chambers Yankees fans do not see.
It is inside the Yankees’ clubhouse, where Aaron Judge remains every bit as beloved by teammates as he is by Yankees fans.
He is the unofficial captain of the Yankees, and if he is signed after the season to finish his career in pinstripes, that honor should be bestowed upon him.
Because Aaron Judge has seamlessly filled the leadership void left by the departures of CC Sabathia and Brett Gardner. And it comes as naturally to him as it did to Derek Jeter, the last Yankees captain.
“I’m just doing what needs to be done, at the right time,” Judge told The Post before the Yankees beat the Blue Jays 3-0 in the series finale. “Stepping up and saying things that need to be said. I think it’s just doing the right thing at all times. And sometimes people may not like what’s right, but as a leader you gotta sometimes stand up and take some bullets and sometimes stand up for the team and do things like that.”
It is not lost on Judge the significance and prestige of the lockers he inhabits in the Yankees clubhouse way in the back of the room. He mentions Jeter and Gardner and Jorge Posada and says with a smile: “It’s a little different. I got a better view of the TVs, so I like that. It’s a pretty important locker in this clubhouse and getting a chance to be over here with some guys, a good friend of mine G [Giancarlo Stanton], it’s pretty cool.
Aaron Judge Jason Szenes“So I’m just trying to be the same leader they were.”
He leads, they follow.
“I think it’s just a natural leadership style,” Joey Gallo told The Post. “It’s not forced. He works harder than just about anybody, if not harder than anybody on the team. And sometimes I think with leaders they might not do that. I wasn’t sure how he’d be coming over here, I knew him a little bit, but I’ve been blown away by the way that he carries himself, the way he talks to the media, talks to the fans and the way he plays the game. He puts a lot of work into it and he cares a lot. Couldn’t ask for a better leader for a team.”
D.J. LeMahieu: “Obviously he’s led by example ’cause he’s one of the best players in the league. But he’s also one of the few guys I’ve played with that’s not afraid to speak up when things need to be said whether guys want to hear it or not. I think that’s what separates him. It’s not easy to do for a guy like that. He cares about the team more than himself and that rubs off on everyone.”
It has certainly rubbed off on new Yankee Josh Donaldson.
“Judge is the kinda guy A) he’s gonna speak with his actions on the field. And B) he brings energy to the yard every day and he’s excited about playing the game,” Donaldson said.
Judge speaks softly around the media … but behind closed doors that will occasionally change.
“He’s always hyping the team up, getting guys ready,” Gallo said. “He talks a lot. Maybe people don’t see that and whatnot, but he does. I don’t remember a specific instance where I thought to myself, ‘Oh jeez, I can’t believe he’s being that vocal.’ No, he’s always vocal.”
Judge doesn’t reveal his personal goals, but winning a championship transcends them anyway. A la Jeter.
“He almost has the Derek Jeteresque type of persona to him,” Gallo said. “Obviously I grew up really loving Derek Jeter, probably one of my top three people in the world. I can see that he kinda has that same style. He plays the game the right way, he plays hard, he answers questions the right way, he takes care of fans, he does the right thing on and off the field. That’s everything that you could possibly want in the face of a franchise-type guy. He’s the perfect example.”
Aaron Judge (right) talks with Joey Gallo (back) and Aaron Hicks (front). Jason SzenesLeMahieu is one of a number of teammates who believes it would be fitting for Judge to retire a Yankee.
“When you think of the New York Yankees, you probably think of Aaron Judge,” LeMahieu said. “He just has a presence about him that’s unmatched, really around the game. Maybe a couple of guys, but he’s just got that presence about him that not many people have.”
Judge, who went 1-for-4 with a run scored in Thursday night’s win, was somewhat relieved that he hammered his first home run of the season on Wednesday night.
“Oh yeah, that’s always the toughest one I think all year,” he said. “I think the first one, No. 10, 20, 30, the big numbers usually are the toughest ones. It’s all the numbers in between that kind of come in bunches … I’m trying to catch up with [Anthony] Rizzo and [Stanton] over there. That was good to get the first one out. … Got that out of the way, now it’s time to roll.”
Aaron Judge swings during the Yankees’ win over the Blue Jays on April 12. Jason SzenesJudge turns 30 on April 26.
“It’s just a number,” he said, and smiled.
Judge politely declined talking about his contract situation, about turning down that seven-year, $213.5 million offer, and won’t until after the season. He saw what Once A Yankee Only A Yankee meant to Jeter … and to everyone else who loves the pinstripes.
“That was pretty cool,” Judge said. “Very few people get a chance to stay with one team their whole career, I even think of like Jimmy Rollins, what he did with the Phillies for years, and then he ends up playing for the Dodgers. Wade Boggs played with Tampa, played with Boston, played here, there’s quite a few guys that played a long time and never really got to stick with their team, so for Jete to be able to do that, it’s pretty special.”
Captain Judge. That would be pretty special for him … and for Yankees fans and teammates.




