Aaron Judge on 2022 MVP: 'You never truly think it's going to happen'

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts at the end of the fifth inning in game five of the ALDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge on winning 2022 MVP: 'You never truly think it's going to happen'

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 11/17/22

Following a historic season on the diamond, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was crowned the 2022 American League MVP on Thursday.

After the announcement on MLB Network, Judge spoke about whether or not he had ever thought winning the MVP was a possibility.

"You dream about it as a kid, getting a chance to be in this moment and share this experience," Judge said. "But humbly, man, you just never truly think it's going to happen."

"I was trying to grind out the year all year, focused on trying to win games for the Yankees and do whatever I can..."@TheJudge44 speaks on the daily mentality that led him to his record-breaking season and how it feels to secure his first American League MVP award. pic.twitter.com/vqo7Wyq3w4
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) November 18, 2022

Judge said his focus was on winning games for the Yankees, so he didn't have much time to think about an MVP pursuit.

"It was tough to really enjoy it because of the ups and downs throughout the year," Judge said. "You're chasing the division. You're chasing a good spot in the postseason. So, it wasn't until really the past couple weeks where you can sit back and reflect back on the year and see how good it was."

The 30-year-old admitted to being "Extremely nervous" about Thursday's MVP announcement.

"You're going up against Yordan Alvarez, one of the top premier hitters in this game, and Shohei Ohtani is by far one of the best players on this planet," Judge said. "You never want to assume anything, but I was pretty nervous going into this because both these guys had incredible years."

With the MVP out of the way, Judge's attention turns to free agency.

Judge's agent Leigh Steinberg recently said the MVP could earn a guaranteed deal of 10 years, $500 million. The popular belief is that Judge will wear Yankees' pinstripes again next season, though a team could make him an offer he can't refuse.

Last week, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner didn't reveal much about negotiations between the team and Judge but said he had "more than one conversation" with him since the end of the season, adding they were "Very positive."

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