"It’s tough...there’s a lot of noise" - When Aaron Judge revealed how he dealt with expectations after Yankees stardom

During the 2017 season, there was not much that could stop New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. He had gotten a cup of coffee in the big leagues in 2016 but was the club's Opening Day RF in 2017 and did not look back.

He looked comfortable at the plate, hitting home run after home run. It was the start of what was to come from Fresno State Bulldogs product.

His success was magnified and he was starting to generate huge expectations. During a 2017 interview with Time's Sean Gregory, Judge revealed how he was able to deal with all of this.

"The big thing for me this year is having blinders on," said Judge.

Judge kept his head down throughout all the noise and took it one game at a time. He knew just how tough this game and the last thing he wanted was to be hard on himself.

"It's tough. There's a lot of noise. But thats the thing, you've got to be mentally strong enough to fight through that noise" said Judge.

That is the type of mentality that has gotten Judge to where he is today. He has been able to deafen all the noise and distractions and focus on his game and his role with the Yankees.

Aaron Judge now has a different "noise" to deal with

New York Yankees - Aaron Judge (Photo via IMAGN)

Aaron Judge is used to the noise. Playing in New York, he is constantly under the microscope, and being the Yankees' captain makes it much worse.

Despite this, he has been able to play when the lights are at their brightest and bounce back from woeful performances. He has stepped into the captain's role with grace and honor.

However, none of this could prepare him for the new noise that will come to his house. Earlier this month, Judge and his wife Samantha welcomed their first child, Nora.

Professional athletes always seem to get some added strength after the birth of a child. Now, it will be interesting to see just how much of a boost Judge comes into the 2025 season with.

In 2024, he hit .322/.428/.701 with an MLB-leading 58 home runs and 144 runs batted in to collect his second AL MVP. It will be interesting to see if he can put up better numbers in 2025 now that he is a father.