'Better than the World Series': Aaron Judge offers bold WBC take

Team USA outfielder Aaron Judge prefers playing in the World Baseball Classic to the Fall Classic. 

After the United States defeated the Dominican Republic 2-1 in the first WBC semifinal on Sunday night, New York Yankees star Judge said the international tournament is now more important than the World Series. 

Aaron Judge offers bold WBC take

"It's bigger and better than the World Series," Judge said, per Ronald Blum of the Associated Press. "The passion that these fans have, representing their country, representing some of their favorite players, there's nothing like it."

The 2026 WBC marks the first time Judge has played in the international competition. He competed in the World Series during the 2024 season, when the Yankees lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games.

Let's not ignore that Judge is having a much better experience at the WBC than he had at the World Series. The three-time American League MVP certainly didn't enjoy baseball media or New Yorkers reminding him he hasn't won a championship as he struggled throughout the series, batting .222 and hitting just one home run (via StatMuse). 

At the WBC, Judge could lead the United States to its first title since 2017, which would be a huge boost to his legacy. If he keeps flourishing, the Americans could certainly beat Venezuela or Italy in the championship game on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, Fox). The Yankees star has slashed .261/.414/.565 with two home runs in the tournament. 

Judge also loves playing for a squad that's much more talented than the Yankees teams he has starred for in 10 seasons in New York. Infielder Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies) and catcher Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners) are some of the names on a star-studded roster. 

International standouts could say the same. The Dominican Republic had a stacked squad that rostered infielder Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays) and outfielder Juan Soto (New York Mets). 

"The whole world saw in two teams some of the best players in the game," Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols said Sunday, per Blum. 

The star power is one reason the quadrennial tournament — held since 2006 — is growing in popularity. A matchup between Team USA and Team Mexico in group play averaged a record 5.018 million viewers (via Fox Sports). 

The WBC is catching on, but it can't rival the tradition of the Fall Classic. The World Series has been held each MLB season since 1903 (except 1994 when it was canceled due to a players strike), making it a baseball staple. 

Judge feels the WBC is becoming more important than the World Series, but many would disagree with that claim.