Climbing to the top is hard, but staying there is even harder. Ask Aaron Judge! He was in contention to break his 60-home run record, but he has recently hit a slump. In the last 11 games, he has a .175/.327/.250 batting line with no home runs, three RBIs, and 17 strikeouts. This isn’t Judge’s first time in a slump because just at the beginning of the season, he suffered a similar fate. But he always gets out stronger and better. However, his recent slump at this phase of the season has sparked a conversation, actually a comparison.

Judge is being compared to the likes of Daniel Jones, from the New York Giants—who is facing a huge crisis this season. On the surface, it’s an odd pairing. Baseball and football are worlds apart, but in New York, it doesn’t matter what game you play—when you’re not at your best, the city will make some noise. But a surprising fact has come out – both the New York players have pretty similar contracts!

Do Daniel Jones and Aaron Judge have the same contract?

Daniel Jones signed a four-year deal with the New York Giants for $160 million. And Aaron Judge has a nine-year $360 million contract with the New York Yankees. Now, on the surface, it might not look the same, but once you average it—boils down to $40 million per year. So, yes, Judge and Jones are for sure, earning the same thing. 

While there is an enormous difference between them both, mostly, it all comes down to performance scales. Aaron Judge, apart from his recent slump, has been phenomenal at his job. He was even in contention to not just break the 60 home run record set by him, but also eclipse it. Judge, along with Soto, has carried the team forward, so much so that playoffs are very much in the picture. 

However, the performance of Jones has been dismal. He made a comeback this season after he suffered a torn ACL but things haven’t gone as planned. Fans are disappointed as at the recent game with the Minnesota Vikings when the Giants were down 14-3 at halftime, they blamed Jones for the team’s struggles. So, even though both players’ contracts may be similar, performance is something they don’t even come close to this season, making many fans mad about the comparisons.

Fans in disbelief over Aaron Judge’s comparisons to Daniel Jones!

Most fans were in disbelief that Jones and Judge would have the same contract. It also highlighted that the Judge might be underpaid by a lot. Right now, he is compared to Shohei Ohtani, who had a record-breaking contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Judge is neck to neck with him, which speaks volumes—he is worth so much more. 

Recently, Aaron Judge has shown a slump, but he is already getting back to the groove. Moreover, Yankees manager Boone also clarified that Judge is making progress. Now it’s only been a short while since, but the same cannot be said about Daniel Jones. He has been struggling since last year and yet, his contract renewal this year confused the fans more. One user didn’t understand the team’s decision to stick around with him.

Aaron Judge has 51 home runs currently, a performance that Jones couldn’t possibly touch. Fans have voiced that the only common thing between these players is the fact that they are from New York. It also left another fan questioning why Jones, who has yet to show the same kind of brilliance, gets paid similarly.

Judge is so used to playing the role of a home run machine that anything short seems weird for the New York Yankee supporters. He is in a slump after being his best throughout; with fans making a conspiracy theory about how going into a cartoon show started Judge’s slump. This light-hearted jab was again highlighted by one commenter.

Another fan even pointed out that both players are at par regardless, given that neither of them has a championship to their name. Well, it is true; while Judge has played superbly, he has yet to take the team to the World Series. He is 30+ so, it’s almost a now or never for the New York Yankees star.

From disbelief to frustrations and criticism, the fans on X have expressed a mix of reactions. But the consensus is clear—comparing Jones to Judge isn’t fair, given the huge performance gap they have and their value aid to the teams. What’s your take on this? Share in the comments below.