Aaron Judge

Judge has been married to Samantha Bracksieck since December 11, 2021. They met at Linden High School and both attended Fresno State University.

Their first child, Nora Rose Judge, was born in January 2025. Judge also has two dachshunds, Gus and Penny.

Judge was adopted by Patty and Wayne Judge one day after his birth. His older brother, John, was also adopted. Patty and Wayne Judge worked as teachers near Linden, California, where Judge grew up.

At Linden High School, Judge became a standout in baseball, football and basketball. As a senior, he received team and league Most Valuable Player honors in all three sports. He set school football records for receiving yards and touchdown receptions, led the basketball team in scoring, and won the Mother Lode League baseball Triple Crown.

Judge chose baseball over football offers from Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA, enrolling at Fresno State in 2010. He was a three-time all-conference first-team selection, won the 2011 Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year award, and won the 2012 College Home Run Derby. Fresno State retired his No. 29 baseball jersey in November 2023.

The New York Yankees selected Judge with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 Major League Baseball draft. A quadriceps injury kept him out of the 2013 season, and he later developed through the Charleston RiverDogs, Tampa Yankees, Trenton Thunder and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders.

Judge made his Yankees debut on August 13, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Rays. In his first major league at-bat, he homered immediately after fellow debutant Tyler Austin also hit a home run. The feat marked the first time two teammates had homered in their first major league at-bats in the same game.

His 2017 rookie season established his reputation as one of baseball's most powerful hitters. He hit 52 home runs, won the Home Run Derby as the first rookie to win it outright, and set the American League rookie records for home runs and strikeouts. He was unanimously named American League Rookie of the Year and also earned his first All-Star selection and Silver Slugger Award.

Judge's 2022 season became the defining achievement of his early career. He hit 62 home runs, surpassing Roger Maris's American League record of 61 set in 1961. He also led the major leagues in runs, walks and runs batted in, and finished with a .311 batting average.

Judge won his first American League MVP Award in 2022, along with the Hank Aaron Award and a place on the All-MLB Team. He was also named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and TIME Athlete of the Year.

After the season, Judge returned to the Yankees and was named the 16th captain in franchise history. He became the first Yankees captain since Derek Jeter's retirement.

Judge followed his record-setting 2022 season with another outstanding campaign in 2024. He led the major leagues in home runs, runs batted in, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, walks and position-player WAR. His 58 home runs made him the first player in major league history to hit at least 50 home runs in three of his first nine seasons.

In August 2024, Judge became the fastest player in major league history to reach 300 career home runs, doing so in 955 games. He also reached 1,000 career hits later that month. The Yankees won the American League pennant, and Judge won his second MVP Award unanimously.

In 2025, Judge won his third MVP Award and his first American League batting title after hitting .331 with 53 home runs. He became the tallest batting champion in major league history and the fourth player to record four seasons with at least 50 home runs. His 36 intentional walks set an American League single-season record.

Judge was named captain of the United States national team for the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team USA reached the championship game against Venezuela, with Judge contributing two home runs and five runs batted in during the tournament.

He founded the ALL RISE Foundation, which encourages children and young people to become responsible citizens and pursue their potential. The foundation supports youth programs, baseball camps, mini-grant programs and leadership initiatives in California and New York.

Judge received the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award for character, community involvement and philanthropy. He has also participated in initiatives supporting health-care workers and campaigns promoting positivity online.

Judge has dealt with several injuries during his major league career, including a fractured wrist in 2018, an oblique strain in 2019, rib and calf injuries in 2020, a hip strain and toe injury in 2023, and an elbow flexor strain in 2025.

In 2026, he was diagnosed with a stress fracture on the right side of his first rib and placed on the 60-day injured list. He remains associated with the Yankees as a right fielder and wears uniform number 99.

Judge's size and strength have made him one of baseball's most recognizable power hitters. His nickname, "All Rise," was given to him by former Yankees teammate Todd Frazier, while "BAJ" stands for "Big Aaron Judge."