David Wright shares thoughts on Aaron Judge's captaincy in New York
New York Mets legend David Wright believes All-Star slugger Aaron Judge will be just fine serving as the 16th captain in the history of the New York Yankees.
"In his case, he’s one of the best in the game," Wright said of Judge, per Dan Martin of the New York Post. "He’s been great with everything, from on-the-field stuff to marketing and personality. He’s a great representative of Major League Baseball. I love the way he carries himself, the way he acts and the way he plays. I’m a big fan, and I’ve never even met him. I know how hard it is to perform and be genuine in New York, and he seems like a genuine dude that gets it."
Wright famously was named the fourth captain in Mets history in 2013 shortly after he agreed to an eight-year, $138 million contract, but he subsequently had that experience tarnished due to injury issues. Most notably, he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis in 2015. That setback ultimately shortened a career that ended after the 2018 season, but Wright nevertheless was able to hit a memorable home run during the 2015 World Series that the Mets lost to the Kansas City Royals:
The pressure and responsibilities that come with being a captain in baseball's largest market make for one of the most unique challenges in all of North American professional sports. Wright spoke about what Judge will encounter now that he's a captain playing on a nine-year, $360M agreement.
"You have to deal with the pressure from both parts: being captain and living up to the contract," Wright said. "It should be just outside pressure, but it’s tough because you’ve got this big new deal that you want to live up to and, on top of that, as captain, you don’t want to stink because your words might mean less if you don’t play well."
By all accounts, Judge is up to the task after he handled duties as unofficial captain of the Yankees and set an American League single-season record of 62 home runs in 2022. While Wright played home games in a different part of the city, it sounds like "Captain America" is available if the reigning AL Most Valuable Player needs some advice.
More must-reads: