Aaron Judge is quickly becoming a household name amongst sports lovers. The 6 foot 7 right fielder has burst onto the baseball scene as the new face of the New York Yankees.
The record-setting rookie who is becoming known as the ‘Homerun Derby King’, found out when he was 10 years old that he was actually adopted by his parents Wayne and Patty Judge.
Aaron was an inquisitive kid who had a natural love and ability for sports and athletics. He realized that he didn’t look like his parents which triggered him to ask the question “Am I adopted?”.
The Early Days
At just one day old, Aaron was adopted in April 1992. His parents describe that day as a miracle as he joined his older brother (who was also adopted) to complete their family. Being adopted has never been a big deal for Aaron. After his parents broke the news to him when he was ten he said “OK, can I go outside and play?”. Aaron’s parents are both retired physical education teachers from California who instilled in him from a young age what it means to be a devoted, hardworking and respectful man.
Aaron’s adoption was a closed one, meaning that he does not (and never has) had any contact with his biological parents. As Aaron reached adulthood, he has never felt the need to learn the details of his family history or to search for his birth parents. When asked in an interview with Newsday, he simply said “I have one set of parents, the ones that raised me. That’s how it is.” He goes on to say “some kids grow in their mom’s stomach; I grew in my mom’s heart… She’s always shown me love and compassion ever since I was a little baby”.
College Scholarships
Aaron was spotted as a talented athlete who also was offered scholarships in both basketball and football, but ultimately decided to settle on baseball. The scholarships came from big-name schools such as Notre Dame, Stanford and UCLA. Aaron shocked his high school football coach, Mike Huber, by accepting a partial scholarship for pitching to Fresno State.
Even though he was offered multiple scholarships to different colleges he never made any official visits to the schools offering these. Huber says “sometimes you take a job and you hate it. I think he loved basketball and he stuck true to his heart and it worked out great for him”. For Aaron, the passion that he had for baseball trumped all else. It wasn’t about the money or fame, it was about the love of the sport.
More Than An Athlete.
Aaron has been winning the hearts of baseball fans on and off the field. He is becoming just as known for his passion, respect and team-first attitude as well as his power hitting ability. He’s been dubbed the next baseball superstar who will be iconic in the way that the sport hasn’t seen since players like Jeter and A-Rod.
Aaron has teamed up with Pepsico to support ‘No Kid Hungry’. This is just one way he is using his status to give back to the community.
It’s much easier to become a cultural figure in sports like basketball or football, but Aaron’s talent, easy-going attitude and charisma put him in good stead to rise in public popularity. With Aaron’s monstrous home runs and record-breaking ability, he is on track to become a baseball legend.
In 2017 Aaron was awarded the American League rookie of the year.
The fact that he was adopted has never impacted his success in life, if anything it has been a blessing to be brought up by his adoptive parents. There’s no doubt that Aaron’s parents had a hugely positive influence on his life. “I know I wouldn’t be a New York Yankee if it wasn’t for my mom”.