Yankees’ Aaron Judge talks WBC letdown, USA’s uptight rep as focus shifts to World Series pursuit
TAMPA, Fla. — Asked what he made of the Yankees’ spring training and where the team stands with opening day rapidly approaching, Aaron Judge joked that he had no idea. “I’ve been gone, so I don’t know what’s going on,” Judge said with a laugh.
The right fielder made the quip on Friday during his first media scrum since returning to Yankees camp. Judge spent the previous few weeks playing in the World Baseball Classic and captaining Team USA, which lost the tournament’s championship game, 3-2, to Venezuela on Tuesday. Judge, back in the Yankees’ lineup on Friday night, went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in the finale.
He totaled two homers, five RBIs, a . 222 average and an . 845 OPS in the WBC, as well as a couple impressive throws.
Alas, the reigning American League MVP left with a disappointing silver medal after Team USA assembled its best roster yet in the tournament’s history. “It was a blast,” Judge said of the experience. “Obviously, we didn’t win it, so that’s not fun.
But just being around those guys, being around that team, it’s something special. ” Judge stressed a few times that Team USA did, in fact, have fun. Parts of the public said otherwise throughout the WBC, stating that the Americans seemed to embrace more of a militaristic approach and never looked as enthusiastic as some of their dancing, bat-flipping, and espresso-chugging opponents.
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