TAMPA, Fla. - Aaron Judge was still feeling the sting as he strolled through the hallways of George M. Steinbrenner Field, replaying Team USA’s tough loss to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.
“You’re still thinking about the last couple of games. You’re mad about that,” Judge shared. “But once I came back here, you get a chance to be around the boys and you throw on the pinstripes - now it’s time to get back to what we’re doing with the Yankees and building toward a championship with them.”
After a whirlwind WBC where he captained Team USA, Judge returned to his familiar role with the Yankees, stepping in as the designated hitter for Friday’s exhibition against the Orioles.
Yankees skipper Aaron Boone mentioned that Judge will ease back into action with a lighter schedule leading up to the March 25 opener against the Giants in San Francisco. He’s set to play right field on Sunday against the Phillies and then suit up Monday against the Cubs in Arizona.
“He’s built up and ready to go,” Boone stated. “I think the couple days backing off hopefully serves him well.”
The silver medal finish was a tough pill to swallow for Judge, who went hitless in the championship game as the U.S. offense faltered in a 3-2 loss to Venezuela. Over the tournament, he went 6-for-27 (.222) with a double, two homers, and five RBIs across seven games.
Balancing the disappointment, Judge reflected on the camaraderie within Team USA’s clubhouse, describing it as “something special.”
“Every guy that represented the U.S., their clubs are lucky to have those guys,” Judge remarked. “They’re special individuals, every single one of them.”
Judge was also impressed by the electric atmosphere, recalling the March 9 game against Mexico at loanDepot park as “one of the rowdiest crowds” he’d ever experienced, rivaling even the World Series.
Judge expressed a wish for that level of energy every night, though he acknowledged the challenge of maintaining it over a 162-game season.
“It’s a high-stakes game, just like all the games we’ve played,” Judge noted. “It’s different when you’ve got a band out in left field, a band out in right field. World Series games, a lot of the fans can’t afford those tickets sometimes.”
He appreciated the “passion” and “emotion” from opposing teams. Team USA faced criticism for not showing the same outward energy, which Judge said he heard from family and friends.
“Everybody’s different. Every culture is different,” Judge explained.
“I loved everything that Mexico was doing, Great Britain, the D.R. How they celebrate the game, it was amazing.
If they’re going to say we don’t have the passion - my passion is grinding in this [batting] cage when nobody’s watching.
“You know, grinding as a 6-year-old in the backyard with my dad. That’s where our passion came from as kids. If I don’t show it outwardly like that, it doesn’t mean I don’t love the game.”
Judge expressed his eagerness for another opportunity to don the stars and stripes, whether in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles or a future WBC.
“I want any chance I get,” Judge said. “I didn’t want to miss the last one [in 2023].
I was pissed I wasn’t in the one in ’17, even though I was a rookie. But yeah, any chance I get.”