As Derek Jeter-led Triumph Nears 15th Anniversary, Aaron Judge’s Future Draws Parallels To Another Unlucky Yankees Captain

The New York Yankees are not simply a franchise but a dynasty. With superstar names attached to it over the decades, the club has seen massive team success. Yet, despite wearing pinstripes on their backs, some players have never achieved the greatest success of all. After 2023, it remains to be seen whether Aaron Judge will suffer a similar fate.

The latest franchise captain has just ended the first year of his new reign. Suffering through two injuries, the slugger has been a marvel to watch despite multiple setbacks. But the same cannot be said of his team. It is reminiscent of the last two Yankees captains, who had very different years in the Bronx. Whose footsteps will Judge follow?

Can Aaron Judge Repeat Derek Jeter’s History? Or Will His Fate Match Don Mattingly’s?

Captain Clutch famously won four World Series in his first five years in Pinstripes. The last of them was in 2009, after which there has not been a Fall Classic trophy in the Bronx. But Derek Jeter had the advantage of talented teammates in their primes, who were willing to give it their all. The late 1990s and early 2000s were some of the most powerful years in the franchise’s history, but unfortunately, their glory has long faded.

Aaron Judge has been with the Yankees for seven years now and his first year as their leader has failed spectacularly. Looking at history, the captain has already crossed Don Mattingly’s halfway mark in the Bronx. Donnie Baseball was one of the best the Yankees had seen but in his 13 full seasons with them, the former slugger never even appeared in a World Series.

Since his 2016 MLB debut, Judge has made it as far as the ALCS three times, which is already more than what Mattingly achieved. Yet, the numbers don’t look good for the outfielder. Unlike Jeter, Judge does not have the good fortune of having a healthy roster full of talented teammates around him. Perhaps this is why frustrations are at an all-time high and the captain has decided to do something about it.

Judge Plans to Have “Tough Conversations” With the Yankees Come Winter

After the horrendous season that was 2023, a postseason appearance would have been a miracle. Even a late rally didn’t help things, and Judge was understandably disappointed. In an honest interview with NJ Advance Media, the captain said, “There are a couple of quick fixes and then there’s some other things that are going to take some tough conversations and some long talks with a lot of people in the room.” 

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