SCOTTSDALE, AZ — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb has never done it in his career but it’s out of sheer and genuine respect that has him wanting to acknowledge the man Wednesday night in the season opener at Oracle Park.
So when New York Yankees great Aaron Judge steps to the plate in the first game of the 2026 MLB season (8:05 ET, Netflix), Webb plans to touch the bill of his cap, look into his eyes, and nod. It will let him know they will always be fierce competitors, but after being teammates for two weeks in the World Baseball Classic, he’ll forever have Webb’s ultimate respet.
“It’s kind of part of the game now where there’s a lot of tipping of the caps and stuff now, and it’s not necessarily my favorite thing," Webb tells USA TODAY Sports. “But for Aaron, I’ve got to do it, right?
“I mean, the guy was just the captain of our team. He’s captain of the Yankees. He does everything the right way. And he’s such a great person, a great family man, everything you’d ever want."
They nearly became teammates three years ago when Judge was a free agent, and the Giants offered him a nine-year, $360 million contract – $40 million more than the Yankees' initial offer. The Giants brought in Webb to help recruit, along with former Giants All-Star Rich Aurilia, who was Judge’s favorite player growing up in Northern California; and had messages from Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry. Judge’s parents, Patty and Wayne, even drove two hours from Linden, California to join the meeting and a late dinner. Despite the Giants’ offer to spend the night, they still drove back home in the late evening.
The Yankees wound up matching the Giants’ offer, and Judge stayed put, but when he saw Giants president Larry Baer before Team USA’s exhibition game against the Giants, he came over, gave Baer a warm embrace, and thanked him for showing such strong interest in him and the way they treated his parents.
“It was so amazing to meet his parents, you can see where Aaron has become the person he is," Webb said. “I remember when he signed with the Yankees, I text him, 'Congratulations’ right away.
“Really, this is where he’s supposed be, captain of the Yankees."
'Greatest humble superstar'
You don’t need a 50-person analytics team to let you know that Judge is the greatest hitter on the planet. He’s a three-time MVP, joining Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to achieve the feat. He is the American League season-season home run king. He’s a seven-time All-Star. He’s a five-time Silver Slugger winner. He’s a batting champion. And he already is considered one of the greatest right-handed hitters in history
And yet, the most mind-boggling attribute about Judge?
“He’s even a better person than he is a player," says Sean Casey, Yankees former hitting coach who was the co-hitting coach for Team USA, “and that’s saying a whole lot since he’s the greatest player in the universe. The way he treats everybody, the security guards, the batboys, everybody that he comes across, it’s just unreal.
“I think a real leader is how you treat people when no one's looking, how you treat people when that can't really do anything for you. He's the best I've ever seen. The greatest humble superstar you’ll ever meet."
Judge was captain of the United States' WBC team, and despite the tears and heartache of losing the gold medal to Venezuela, the players, coaches and staff members say the one of the best parts of the experience was spending two weeks around Judge.
They had heard the stories about Judge’s kindness. They knew his reputation as being one of the game’s finest clubhouse leaders. But to see his interaction every day with teammates and staff members. To see Judge make everyone around him feel comfortable. To have him make everyone feel welcome.
Well, there’s a reason why the Yankees have the greatest recruiting tool in the world, knowing just how badly everyone wants to play with Judge.
“I had heard so much about him over the years that I was really curious to see what he’d be like," said Michael Young, the former seven-time All-Star infielder who was the Texas Rangers’ clubhouse leader. “It’s incredible. I mean, the back of his baseball card speaks for itself, but the person is off the charts.
“In terms of commanding a room, leading a team by both his actions, words, encouragement, positiveness and competitiveness, he’s the very best I've ever seen do it.
“And I don’t throw that around lightly."
It’s not as if Judge, 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, can arrive to the ballpark and go unnoticed. When he walks into the clubhouse door, people who want to talk to him. People want to see him. People want a piece of him. There are corporate sponsorships. Commercial shoots. Interview requests. Autograph sessions.
Still, despite all of the demands, he still makes connections with everyone he sees. He’ll make eye contact. He’ll give a fist-bump. He has a knack for making every single person he comes across feeling special.
“He’s the best leader I've ever been around on the baseball field, at any level," Yankee first baseman Paul Goldschmidt says. “I think he honestly cares about the team more than himself, and he lives that out. He just makes the people around him better.
“I mean, I've seen him strike out three times, and before he even takes the puts the bat back in the bat rack, he’ll tell the next guy, 'Hey, come on. You got this.’ He just leaves his own performance behind so quickly, and just sets the example for everyone. It becomes really contagious where he doesn't make it about himself."
There, of course, has been a great tradition of Yankee clubhouse leaders. Derek Jeter was a role model and captain winning four World Series from 1996-2000. He carried the torch until Brett Gardner and CC Sabathia took over. And now it belongs to Judge, who is beginning his 10th full season in pinstripes.
Judge shines in WBC
Jeter, of course, won five World Series rings. Sabathia and Gardner won the 2009 World Series together. Now, they’d love to see Judge get that elusive championship, too. The Yankees have reached the postseason in all but one of Judge’s seasons, but have won just one pennant.
“We’d all love to see it happen for him," said Sabathia, the Hall of Fame pitcher. “You see the way guys follow him, and want to be around him. He felt that responsibility early on when I knew him, and he was like, “I'll take it on.’ It's been awesome to see him grow into that role, the Yankee way, and how to do things.
“Really, he reminds me a lot of Gardy, the way that he goes about his business. The willingness to play through anything. The toughness and just wanting to go out and win a ball game every single day. The guy is just so genuine, and he has never changed."
Former veteran reliever Adam Ottavino, who’s more than six years older than Judge, joined the Yankees in 2019, walked through the clubhouse door, and Judge immediately introduced himself.
“He's just like a naturally friendly guy, a very inclusive type of guy," Ottavino said. “I mean, I had just gotten to the team, and he's already introducing me to his parents. He’s just the type of guy that goes around and checks in with everybody every day.
“He's more of a lead-by-example guy, but when he speaks, it carries a lot of volume. He just always seems to know what to say. And it’s all natural. There's nothing at all manufactured there."
Really, just being around Judge during Yankees spring training camp and the WBC, said Yankees pitching great Andy Pettitte, his demeanor reminds him so much of Jeter.
“They’re not big rah-rah guys, and just go about their business,’’ Pettitte says, “but the humility this guy [Judge] shows is absolutely amazing. I mean, and he is the superstar of all superstars. That's what separates him... He’s just an unbelievable human being."
It was during the World Baseball Classic in Houston when Judge barely had time for batting practice. He was in the cage for maybe six or seven swings, and had to run to prepare for the game. Yet instead of rushing off, he stayed behind, picked up the baseballs scattered around the infield just like anyone else, and bumped fists with batting practice pitcher Ali Modami.
“What really jumped out at me," DeRosa said, “was how engaging he is with his teammates. He makes everybody feel like they're a part of it, whether it's a wink, whether it's a pat on the ass, or just an acknowledgement. He never once walked by me without saying or doing something.
“I mean, just an unbelievable person. Such a special human being with the amount of focus and attention that's on every him every move he makes, and handles it all with style and grace. He’s one-in-a-million today. He’s a special player with special gifts is a special person. He holds everybody accountable, and holds himself accountable.’’
When Judge was the first player announced on the USA team, DeRosa’s phone wouldn’t stop buzzing. Everyone wanted to be part of the team. Philadelphia Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber had one request when he signed up: “Can you make sure I’m part of his BP [batting practice] group?"
“That’s why if I’m a player, and I want to go somewhere as a free agent, I go to New York because of Aaron Judge," Casey said. “I’ve watched it. He can make a bench guy feel like he’s the best player on the team. He doesn’t big-league anybody. Some guys are prisoners of their own fame. I saw that around Ken Griffey Jr. They can’t live the same, but he does. It’s not like he can hide, but he fits in with everyone, and he’s as genuine as they come."
It’s Judge’s interactions with his teammates that had coaches like David Ross, the former Cubs manager and World Series champion, in awe of his demeanor. They heard the stories from Yankee manager Aaron Boone but to see it in person was something else.
“He knows he's one of the faces of baseball, if not the face of baseball,’’ said Ross, who was on the WBC coaching staff, “but he’s not afraid to be the first person to speak and own the room. He's just very cool and calm and he treats everybody with a ton of respect. Just watching the way he carries himself, way he interacts with players in batting cage, the pitchers in the locker room, speaking up after games, it’s special, man.
“His presence is intimidating, but his personality lets down every guard that you ever might have had."
Says Milwaukee Brewers All-Star second baseman Brice Turang: “He's the real deal, man. He’s such a great player, but even a better dude. There's always a smile on his face. He's always positive. He always wants the best for everybody. And he always wants to win."
Aaron Judge 'wouldn't have it any other way'
Judge, 33, realizes that once he gets to Oracle Park on Wednesday afternoon, all eyes will be on him again. There will be dozens of national TV cameras filming his arrival. Home run champion Barry Bonds will be on hand. The Netflix crew will be there to interview him. And then, of course, come all the actual baseball demands.
“I got to tell you the amount of people that ask him for something over the course of the day," said Jason Zillo, Yankees vice president of communications and media relations, “is staggering. Just in my little world, it's an insurmountable a number of people want time with him. ... The gift of patience for him is off the charts."
And yet, there’s always the smile.
“Just the fact that you have someone of that magnitude embracing the standard of playing for and being employed by the New York Yankees organization is unquantifiable," Zillo said. “You’ve got this direct lineage of clubhouse leaders through the years, and now it's landed squarely on Judge's plate. And he's like, 'Bring it on. I want this. I love this.’
“This is what it means to play for the Yankees and what it means to be a captain for the New York Yankees. It doesn't have to do with hitting 50 or 60 homers. It's just how we go about doing things.’’
It’s a different time than when Jeter broke in with the Yankees. Cell phones were a luxury. There were no camera phones. Players could leave the clubhouse, have dinner hit a Broadway show, and not a soul would know.
These days, players can’t stop to buy a bag of groceries without being filmed.
“Derek could go to dinner, he could go out and have drinks," Zillo said, “and it wouldn’t be chronicled and documented and thrown up on billboards. Aaron can't do that. None of these players can. You’ve got to have your head on a swivel now because everybody has the ability to capture content from the moment they walk out the front door until the moment they come home.’’
Still, Judge understands and embraces the responsibility. He doesn’t have the luxury of being a superstar in Kansas City, like Bobby Witt Jr. He can’t be Shohei Ohtani in Los Angeles and only talk to media once or twice a week.
Privacy doesn’t exist when you’re the biggest star, in the biggest media market, playing for the New York Yankees.
“I love it," Judge said. “I really do. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I just want to win. I want to be a World Series champion for the New York Yankees.
“That would mean everything."
Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees' Aaron Judge is MLB's greatest hitter and teammate: Opening Day
