Aaron Judge gets emotional remembering Brett Gardner’s impact following the former Yankee’s heartbreaking loss

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge got emotional when asked about former teammate Brett Gardner. Judge and the Yankees began their Opening Day game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday with a moment of silence in honor of Miller Gardner.

Brett Gardner’s son, Miller, died on March 21 while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica after falling ill. In a postgame interview following Thursday’s game, Aaron Judge was asked how much the former Yankee means to him and whether Gardner has been on his mind.

Judge replied (starting at 3:30):

“Yeah, he's been on my mind. Even guys that aren't on this team, I got a lot of phone calls, texts from other guys that, when we were young guys kind of coming up. What do we do? Do we reach out? What's going on?”

“And, just because of the way that Brett impacted all our lives. He may not have been the big superstar with all the all-stars and MVPs and this and that, but this guy was a leader of all of us, a second dad to some guys.”

Before the first pitch of the Opening Day game, all the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers players stood on the field to pay tribute to Miller Gardner. Several players held their hats to their chests while an image of Miller was displayed on the Yankee Stadium jumbotron.

Further reflecting on Brett Gardner, Aaron Judge added:

“He poured everything into every single guy. If we're having a tough time, he was always there for you, to kind of be someone to lean on, someone to joke on. Yeah, so his family, everything, they've all been on my mind. I don't really have a good answer for you.”

Aaron Judge opens up about the Yankees solid 4-2 victory over the Brewers

The New York Yankees have started the 2025 season with a strong 4-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. Discussing the win, Aaron Judge said (starting at 0:10):

“It was a great win. Like you said, all around from the very beginning. Carlos going out there and giving us a shutdown first inning. Wells coming up giving us an early lead. The place was rocking. Some great defensive plays. They're a quick team, so it's kind of tough to turn to, but Jazz made some great plays at second base.”

The Yankees’ offense recorded seven hits in 29 at-bats, driving in four runs and drawing four walks. Meanwhile, the pitching staff allowed seven hits and four walks while striking out 13. The Bronx Bombers will face the Milwaukee Brewers again on Saturday at Yankee Stadium.