Derek Jeter on fooling New Yorkers with faux humbleness: "Ultimately, if you’re artificial, time will expose you"

Superstar Aaron Judge is often compared to New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter. The All-Star spoke candidly about Judge and how it is difficult to fool New Yorkers with fake humility.

In an interview with TIME, Jeter said the following about Judge:

“Ultimately, if you’re artificial, time will expose you. You can’t fake out New Yorkers. You either mean it or you don’t, and it appears to me that he means it.”

Judge, who is back with the Yankees, has become a New York favorite. There have been several incidents where Judge was compared to Jeter.

@derekjeter on @TheJudge44 "What Aaron [Judge] has been able to do this year ... in a free agent year when all eyes are on you ... He's betting on himself, you've gotta give him credit for that." – ESPN

Judge has said that he has never tried to imitate anyone on the field and has always been himself when he has held the bat at home plate. Here's what he said to Time on the subject:

“I’m always confused when people are like, ‘Oh, you’re like Jeter, you’re like this guy. I try not to be. I just try to be who I am.”

On November 8, the Yankees reached an agreement with Judge on a contract, much to the relief of fans.

"All. Rise. Aaron Judge, Yankees are reportedly in agreement on a 9-year deal, according to MLB Network Insider @jonmorosi." – MLB

Aaron Judge & Derek Jeter - two beloved New York Yankees players

Judge was named the American League (AL) Rookie of the Year in 2017 and finished second in voting for the AL Most Valuable Player Award. In 2022, he set the AL record for most home runs in a season with 62, breaking Roger Maris' 61-year-old record and winning the AL MVP award.

Derek Jeter Ceremony

Derek Jeter played his entire 20-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career for the New York Yankees. In his first year of eligibility in 2020, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, with 396 of the 397 available votes (99.75%). This was the second-highest percentage in MLB history (behind his teammate Mariano Rivera) and the highest by a position player. From September 2017 to February 2022, he served as CEO and part owner of the league's Miami Marlins.

Comparisons are never too far away in the sporting world, and we will see if Judge can continue to earn such plaudits going forward.