Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees expressed reservations about participating in the next WBC (World Baseball Classic).
Judge, who is participating in the Yankees’ spring training in Tampa, Florida, told the New York Post on the 24th (Korean time), “It’s hard to say anything right now because it’s going to be three years from now. I’ll look at the situation when that time comes.”
He added, “The WBC is definitely a fun and surprising tournament that fascinated the whole world. There were many children who watched the game until late. The best players competed,” but added, “I’ll see what the situation is like at that time.”
The WBC, which ended with Japan’s victory on the 22nd, will be held in March 2026 for the 6th tournament.
Judge neither drew the line nor made any commitments to participating in the WBC. It can be seen as a ‘noncommital’ stance that allows you to freely determine your position at any time.
The U.S. lost 2-3 in the WBC final, overwhelmed by the Japanese mound. It was all about raising the score with two solo homers by Trey Turner and Kyle Schwaber. After the final, it was pointed out that if Judge had joined the American lineup, the weight of the lineup and the pressure of the opponent would have been different.
Judge has recently been reluctant to participate in high-profile events such as the All-Star Home Run Derby.
However, Judge positively evaluated the WBC. He said he watched major matches, including the U.S. and Japan finals, on TV, saying, “I hoped Trout would hit a home run in the finals. It’s not like you see two players on the same team fighting on the highest stage,” he said.
Fans hoped that Judge, who hit a historic 62 homers last year and became the American League MVP, would participate in the WBC. Regarding the reason for not participating in the WBC, Judge said, “As he signed a new long-term contract, he wanted to focus on his first season and fulfill his leadership role as captain.” 카지노
Judge was appointed captain after signing a free agency contract with the Yankees in December of last year for 9 years and 360 million dollars.
Judge participated in 12 games in this demonstration game and marked an OPS of 1.096 with a batting average of 0.345 (10 hits in 29 bats), 1 home run, 4 RBIs, 6 runs, 4 walks, and 6 strikeouts.