“It Was Very, Very Tough”: Iconic Broadcaster Reveals How Aaron Judge Displayed a Unique Derek Jeter Quality During His 2022 MVP Season

Aaron Judge is no stranger to getting Derek Jeter comparisons. The same kind of charm that both seem to exude when talking, the same humility and firm refusal to talk about themselves. Baseball always comes first and for Jeter, that single-minded focus showed on the field. For Judge, fans have seen a glimpse of what he has to offer, but time will tell more.

The similarities don’t end there – the most obvious one is, of course, their titles within the Yankee organization. Jeter led his team to many glories, while this upcoming season will be the first time Judge gets to show his skills as a captain. Notably, All-Rise is coming off a great 2022 season and has performed well in spring training so far. It remains to be seen what the regular season will look like and whether the new captain finally ends the 13-year World Series drought in 2023. That would be another thing he’d have in common with Jeter.

As far as their similarities go, sports commentator Suzyn Waldman recently weighed in on them.

Suzyn Waldman found another link between Derek Jeter and Aaron Judge

When the 2022 season ended, Aaron Judge was not sure of his future. Fans were eager to see the Bronx Bombers sign him once again and relieve him of the stress of free agency. It took some pushing and pulling from both sides, but the Yankees finally signed Judge to a nine-year, $360 million deal. He refused an earlier offer that would have paid $213.5 million for seven years. Judge believed in his abilities and bet on himself. That meant that he was able to stay with his beloved team and earn some extra bucks in the process.

This is the quality that people see in him, the same as Jeter. Both talented, both knowing their own value, and believing in them. And it’s exactly what Waldman saw when she talked to Judge before as well as after his iconic home run record.

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“It was very very tough. And the way he kept things together, very much like Jeter. Same kind of – he’s the same person that he is now when he walked in the door..not sure of himself but he knows who he is. It doesn’t mean he’s confident all the time. But he knows who he is. I thought that was one of the most remarkable things I had ever seen,” the analyst told Foul Territory.

Judge was praised by Captain Clutch himself

Being respected by a Hall of Famer is no small thing and yet, Judge is wholly worthy of it. Before the Yankees deal had been finalized with All-Rise, Jeter spoke to ESPN about him. “What Aaron has been able to do this year is pretty tough to do. To do it in a free agent year, when all eyes are on you. He’s betting on himself. You’ve gotta give him credit for that,” he said.

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And truly, his gamble paid off. Not only is Judge the 16th captain, but got signed with one of the biggest deals in league history.