NEW YORK -- Aaron Judge’s first standing ovation of 2026 came in a crowded Manhattan ballroom on Saturday evening, applause following a celebratory introduction from a familiar hype man -- former teammate Anthony Rizzo. Judge and Rizzo sat side by side throughout the 101st dinner held by the New York chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, with Judge in attendance to receive his American League Most Valuable Player Award and the chapter’s “Toast of the Town” honor. “He’s the most special person I’ve ever been around,” Rizzo said. “Playing in New York is different, as everyone knows. When you put the pinstripes on, you’re going to have good times and bad times. They get heavy at times. “… The lights shine brighter. The pressure is heavier. Every moment is magnified. Not everybody is built for this stage. You’ve seen a lot of guys fold under these big lights. What he does every day with his selfless leadership is something that I admire.” Judge opened his remarks by thanking his wife, Samantha, saying he definitely would not be a three-time MVP without her love and support. “You’re my hitting coach when I need you, my therapist when I need you,” Judge said. “And giving me the greatest gift of all, which is our beautiful daughter, Nora. It’s been incredible to be a father and what that’s done for our life. It doesn’t matter if I’m 4-for-4 or 0-for-4 -- coming home and seeing their smiling faces, that’s what it’s all about.” |
Judge didn’t drag many hitless performances back to the apartment in 2025. In 152 games, he compiled a slash line of .331/.457/.688 with 53 home runs and 114 RBIs, posting a Major League-best 215 OPS+ while becoming the tallest player ever to log a batting title. “I’ll speak for him, because I know he won’t,” Rizzo said. “I think the one he’s probably most proud of is that .331 average. There’s no cheap hits there. There’s no infield hits. These are all hits the hard way, and the pitching is only getting better.” In describing the hunger that continues to fuel his success, Judge recalled a quote from his father, Wayne, who often told him: “If what you did yesterday still seems big today, then you haven’t done anything today.” “It really sticks with me,” Judge said. “It doesn’t matter if you pitched a complete game shutout or went 4-for-4 the night before. It’s in the past. It’s about what you can do today, how you show up today and how you can be better today for your teammates and everybody around you.” Judge concluded by thanking the fans. “Getting a chance to represent not only the Yankees but the city of New York, it comes with high standards,” Judge said. “You expect a lot. You demand a lot. I think that’s what brings the best out in all of us, and brings the best out in me. “So I just want to thank you guys. A lot of you guys save up to come to one game to watch us play, watch me play. That’s what it’s about. I want to give you guys the best and put on a show for you.” |
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Before Judge, who had been the most recent Yankee to win three MVP Awards while with the club? A. Yogi Berra
B. Joe DiMaggio
C. Mickey Mantle
D. Alex Rodriguez |
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Carlos Rodón had career highs in wins, starts and innings last season, but his most meaningful statistics won’t be found in any box score. For all the strikeouts and big-game moments, the most important work Carlos and Ashley Rodón performed happened at their kitchen table, helping others achieve dreams of family life. The New York chapter of the BBWAA recognized the Carlos Rodón Foundation and its Willow Fund on Saturday, honoring the couple with its Joan Payson/Shannon Forde Award for Community Service. The Rodóns endured two miscarriages before welcoming their first child, Willow, in July 2019. They now have three children, with Bo and Silo joining the family in subsequent years. But the heartbreak of infertility has never left them. “When we went through it in 2018, people didn’t talk about infertility,” Ashley said. “I felt very alone, and Carlos was like, ‘There’s nobody that really understands what we’re going through.’ It wasn’t until we started talking about it that we had friends -- people we played with -- who were like, ‘Hey, we’ve been through that. We’re here for you guys.’” In 2024, they launched The Carlos Rodón Foundation. Soon came a collaboration with the Connecticut-based Nest Egg Foundation to create the Willow Fund, aimed at providing grants and building a support network for families navigating infertility. “I remember the first time going over applications,” Carlos said. “There weren’t very many, because we were just getting started. We had like four or five still to go over, and we were supposed to pick one. I read them all, and Ashley had already seen them. I was like, ‘Man, this is really hard to choose just one.’” So they didn’t. Instead of picking one family, they chose two, covering the difference themselves. Now, as the Willow Fund has attracted more outside support, their ability to help has multiplied. In 2025, Ashley said, they were on track to issue approximately 35 grants, each valued at $10,000. “To be able to help give somebody a family, I really don’t think there’s anything better you can do for somebody on this planet,” Ashley said. |
THIS DATE IN YANKEES HISTORY |
Jan. 26, 2009: Andy Pettitte and the Yankees agreed to an incentive-laden one-year, $5.5 million contract -- a cut from the $16 million he earned in 2008. Pettitte was the final piece in a World Series-bound rotation that featured CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett, Chien-Ming Wang, Joba Chamberlain, Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy. “I wanted to play for the New York Yankees. That was the bottom line,” Pettitte said at the time. “I wanted to be there. I wanted to play in that new stadium.” |
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C. Mantle Mantle was AL MVP in 1956, ’57 and ’62. |
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