Aaron Judge wins 2017 AL Rookie of the Year Award

Aaron Judge was named the unanimous American League Rookie of the Year on Monday after a historic first season in the Bronx.

ALL RISE! New York Yankees phenom Aaron Judge is the 2017 American League Rookie of the Year. In an unsurprising unanimous vote, the 25-year-old became the first Yankee since Derek Jeter in 1996 to win the award. Judge hit a rookie-record 52 home runs this past season, topping the historic mark that was previously held by Mark McGwire when he crushed 49 home runs in 1987.

It’s hard not to root for a guy that is as humbled and loved throughout the game as Judge is. In typical Judge fashion, the slugger immediately praised his teammates and the Yankee organization before acknowledging his own accomplishments in a historic season. “It means everything. It’s quite an honor,” Judge said. “It’s an honor and a privilege. I’m just one piece of an organization. The impact my teammates, family, and friends have had with me this year have been huge. I can’t thank them enough.”

The sentiment around the league is clear and it’s no surprise that MLB commission Rob Manfred even coined the superstar as the potential face of the league. Todd Frazier summed it up best when talking to reporters about Judge after Game 3 of the ALCS when he stated, “Guys like Judge, makes you feel comfortable. I feel like this guy has been here 10 years-plus. He’s humble as all heck.”

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With a full season under his belt, the sky is the limit for the 6’7″ 282 lb. gentle giant. Aside from all the moon shots and the epic performance in the 2017 Home Run Derby, Judge has proven after a lackluster brief call-up late in the 2016 season that he is now here to stay.

He’s a great defender, an above average runner, a great teammate, and most importantly, an even better person. In New York, the biggest market in baseball with the brightest lights on the biggest stage, you couldn’t ask for a better person to slide into the role that was filled by Yankee legend Derek Jeter for 20 years.

Aaron Judge was able to produce with numerous injuries to the lineup that saw key figures go down for significant time. Despite all that, Judge still put up MVP-caliber numbers and led the Yankees to Game 7 of the ALCS where they lost to the eventual World Series champion Houston Astros.

Next: Gleyber Torres will have his chance at the spotlight in 2018

Fortunately for Yankees fans, they can “ALL RISE” for years to come in the “Judge’s Chambers”.

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