Judge's ultimate goal for 2025? 'Rewrite the script'

The Yankees were taking batting practice in Cincinnati last month on another sweltering, soupy Midwestern afternoon, and Aaron Boone was watching from the visiting dugout. The topic of his father came up, a question posed: Who was the better big league manager?

Boone chewed on it for a split second -- then the answer was provided, a matter settled by a veteran Cincinnati scribe.

“Bob Boone had Aaron Boone. Aaron Boone has Aaron Judge.”

Even Bob Boone’s son had to admit, that was pretty good. And so is Judge, an All-Star for the seventh time, preparing to lead the American League into Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

Joined by teammates Jazz Chisholm, Jr., Max Fried and Carlos Rodón, Judge’s spot at the Midsummer Classic was never in question. He led all Major Leaguers in Phase 1 voting again, his box checked on 4,012,983 ballots to gain automatic selection.

The Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani was second with 3,967,668. Two superstars, two franchise faces, a pair that just happened to face off in last year’s World Series.

“I like playing against the best,” Judge said. “You want to play against the best teams, the best players.”

That’s where this chapter begins for Judge, who views the 2025 season as a shot at redemption.

Yes, he saw the online memes about the dropped fly ball in the fifth inning of Game 5; no time machine exists to go back and complete a routine play that represented his first error as a professional center fielder. It was a 1-in-1,000 miscue, one he’s unlikely to repeat.

All he can do now is move forward.

“We didn’t get the job done,” Judge said. “That’s what really matters, and how you learn from it, try to be a better player from it. You get ready for the next season and the next opportunity to go out there and rewrite the script.”

That mantra drove him during winter workouts. Through the humid grind of Spring Training. Into a regular season that saw the Yankees once again start out hot, then sleepwalk through June -- a familiar, frustrating pattern even Judge has acknowledged.

Through it all, Judge has done what he does best -- perform.

At this point, it is easy to take him for granted. His career trajectory points not just toward Monument Park, but Cooperstown. His teammates and manager do it. Fans on social media do it. Everyone expects a jaw-dropping blast every night.

When the stat line shows, say, a run-scoring double and two walks, the response is almost ho-hum -- something like: “That’s it? He’ll do better tomorrow.”

It’s not fair, but it’s reality. These are the expectations Judge carries in his age-33 season, three summers removed from chasing down Roger Maris’ single-season AL home run record.

“I just feel like he’s not doing anything astronomical -- for him,” Boone said. “I feel like he’s just that good. Then you really take a look at the numbers, and it’s remarkable.”

Judge’s OPS of 1.195 leads the Majors, heading a slew of categories where he’s also tops -- hits (125), times on base (198), total bases (258), extra-base hits (61) and more.

“He’s going to go down as one of the greatest Yankees ever,” said Rob Refsnyder of the Red Sox, a former teammate of Judge’s. “When you’re coming up with somebody, you can’t really fathom some of the things they’re talking about, like Yankees history.

“But he really is. They put his name up next to some of the things he’s doing -- it’s like, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, all these icons. It’s a credit to him and his work ethic. He’s constantly evolving.”

For a while, Judge even flirted with .400. In an era where batting average is viewed as an antiquated measure, it still matters to Judge.

If you had his smartphone passcode -- and you don’t -- you’d find a note showcasing a .179 mark from his whiff-heavy 27-game callup in 2016. Judge vowed to never be humbled like that again.

“That was so upsetting to him. He completely overhauled his swing,” said Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka, another former teammate. “Basically, he wasn’t content with just being another player. He wanted to absolutely maximize his potential.”

“Early on in his career, he swung and missed a lot, especially down and away,” said Mets pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. “Fastballs, sliders, changeups. It was a pretty big hole. He’s closed that.”

That brings us to this week in Atlanta, where Judge stands tall and proud, not just the leader of the AL squad but again as one of the faces of the sport. He knew better than to plan a July vacation for the break; this was practically a scheduled event for him.

But it’s also only a stopover. Come Friday, the rest of Judge’s Yankees teammates will have arrived in Atlanta, refreshed to chase what eluded them last fall. Judge said the sting of 2024 “will stick with guys forever.”

When their AL championship rings were quietly distributed at the team’s annual Welcome Home Dinner, Giancarlo Stanton had a message: “This ain’t the one we wanted.” He told teammates not to wear them in public.

Their best chance to secure the rings they do want wears eye black, even at night, and chomps on Dubble Bubble while waiting for his next hack with a 33-ounce Chandler club.

“You’re just trying to do everything you can,” Judge said, “to make sure you never have that sour taste in your mouth again.”