Derek Jeter addresses World Baseball Classic, World Series takes before USA loss to Venezuela

Days before Team USA suffered a brutal 3-2 loss to Venezuela in the final of the World Baseball Classic on Tuesday night, New York Yankees and USA captain Aaron Judge generated headlines when he suggested that the international competition and the atmosphere at WBC games are "bigger and better than the World Series." 

During Fox's pregame coverage of Tuesday's matchup, former Yankees captain Derek Jeter seemed to offer a strong response to Judge. 

Derek Jeter takes side in World Baseball Classic, World Series debate

"I think the people that say it’s bigger than the World Series never played in a World Series," Jeter said about the WBC, per Mark Suleymanov of the New York Post. "I think people are always trying to compare what’s bigger. …It’s completely different. When you retire, they ask, 'How many championships did you win?' for a reason. Playing in a World Series, going through a 162-game schedule plus the postseason, is difficult to do."

The only World Series experience of Judge's career, to date, involved the Yankees dropping four of five games to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the fall of 2024. To compare, Jeter played in the Fall Classic seven times and earned five World Series rings during his Hall of Fame career. 

In fairness to Judge, he wasn't the only Yankees player to make a controversial statement about how the WBC compares to a World Series. As Anthony Rieber shared for Newsday, Yankees utility man Amed Rosario recently said the atmosphere he experienced during WBC games was his "No. 1." Rosario was also sure to note that, unlike Judge, he has never played in a World Series.

Derek Jeter knows it's "an absolute honor" to represent your country, but...

"Doesn’t take anything away from the WBC," Jeter added. "It is an absolute honor. I’ve done it a couple of times. It’s an honor to wear the USA across your chest. How this tournament has grown over the last 20 years is impressive. This really unites fans. I remember playing for the U.S., running into Boston and them telling me, 'Hey, I hate the Yankees, but I’m going to enjoy rooting for you the next two weeks.' So it doesn’t take anything away from the WBC [but] it’s completely different."

Perhaps Judge will eventually feel differently if he one day guides the Yankees to a historic 28th World Series championship.