Aaron Judge credits Yankees' mental conditioning department for success

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge may seem superhuman to some fans but nevertheless deals with issues related to self-doubt as do all mere mortals. 

In a piece shared on Tuesday morning, ESPN senior writer Sam Borden noted how Judge will leave the clubhouse shortly before the start of a game and head to the office belonging to Yankees director of mental conditioning Chad Bohling. While there, Judge will watch "one of several videos Bohling has prepared that feature a flurry of positive images" such as the four-time All-Star selection making a great catch in the outfield or hitting a home run. 

Other clips showcase Hall-of-Fame athletes from different sports such as retired quarterback Peyton Manning and NBA legend Michael Jordan. 

Judge explained he uses such reinforcement for inspiration and also to deal with real fears of failure. 

"Even days that I don't want to, days where I just want to get the game started, I still go in there and watch the video," Judge told Borden. 

The 30-year-old detailed how the videos help him "switch" from being the everyday version of Judge to the towering 6-foot-7 superstar who seemingly can blast baseballs out of any ballpark in North America. 

"...You know, when I step out there, you have to be somebody else," Judge said about taking the field. "Because maybe Aaron, in this moment, might be scared. But No. 99? He isn't afraid at all."

Nobody should question Judge's methods this spring. After he earned American League Most Valuable Player honors for the 2022 season, he signed a nine-year, $360M deal to remain with the Yankees and become the 16th captain in the history of the franchise. 

That contract coupled with the responsibility of being Yankees captain could understandably weigh heavily on any individual, but general manager Brian Cashman pointed out Judge experienced plenty of pressure last summer and fall en route to setting a new AL single-season record of 62 home runs. 

"There's that quote -- something like, 'It's impossible to step twice into the same spot in a river,' because the river is always flowing, right? Last season was a flood," Cashman said. "This season, whatever happens, whatever we all do, is going to be different in so many ways."