New York Yankees manager expects Aaron Judge to exert more influence after assuming captaincy in 2023

Aaron Boone, the New York Yankees manager, is hopeful fans will get to see more of new team captain Aaron Judge's leadership qualities as the 2023 season progresses.

After a phenomenal 2022, Aaron Judge is back in the Bronx, where he will take the field this season with the added responsibility of the captaincy entrusted upon him. He is the Yankees' first captain since MLB legend Derek Jeter's retirement in 2014, as well as the 16th in the franchise's history.

Speaking to the media ahead of the new season, Boone gave some insight into what we can expect from captain Judge this season:

“His leadership gets ratcheted up a little bit, but I think it will be fairly subtle in what it looks like.

“I don’t think you’ll see that big of a change in the person and who he is and how he goes about things, but I do think there’s that incremental step probably in leadership. That he assumes a responsibility. He takes a lot of pride in that.”

Boone also shed some light on the relationship he shares with his new captain, stating:

"He's always one of those guys that I kinda go to, talk to, confide in, as well as some other guys on the team when we're considering different things. And probably – again incrementally in that way, too – go to him about certain things that I’m thinking about, especially big picture with the team.”

MLB insider Andy Martino could not hide his excitement as he spoke about the dawn of a "new era," with Judge set to be officially unveiled as the new captain on Sunday:

"A whole new era begins on Sunday when position players report to Yankee camp and that's the Aaron Judge captaincy. This, obviously is historically a big and relatively rare deal around this franchise.

"Derek Jeter, of course, with the previous Yankee captain. Don Mattingly and Willie Randolph served in the recent past before that, but this team doesn't give that designation to just anybody. "

It will be interesting to see if Aaron Judge thrives under the pressure of leading a team chasing their first World Series win since 2009.

Aaron Judge's 2022 season

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits his 62nd home run of the season against the Texas Rangers during the first inning in game two of a double header at Globe Life Field on October 4, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. Judge has now set the American League record for home runs in a single season.

Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs last season, creating a new world record for the maximum number of homers in a single MLB season.

The New York Yankees star was adjudged the American League MVP for 2022 and signed a new nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees at the end of the season.