"We just had a lot of fun": Aaron Judge reminisces on Little League days as Yankees gear up for Little League Classic

The New York Yankees, led by Aaron Judge, are gearing up for a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. The first two matchups will take place in Motor City, while the series will wrap up with the much-awaited "MLB Little League Classic” in Williamsport, PA, on Sunday.

The Bronx Bombers' captain is particularly excited about the seventh annual event, as he reminisced about his Little League days:

"I think it’s just playing with your buddies, playing with your friends. Getting a hot dog and a Pepsi after the game, it was a good time. Our concession stand was right there, and everyone was running, even if we lost the game. ... We just had a lot of fun. I used to love sliding practice and all the fun things we would do." (H/T MLB.com)

The MLB Little League Classic, which debuted in 2017, will be the first time Aaron Judge will take the plate at Bowman Field in front of a young crowd of Little Leaguers.

“I’m excited," Judge said. "I’ve watched that for so many years now, and I was hoping at some point we’d get a chance to play there. I’ve talked to [Anthony] Rizzo and some other guys who got a chance to play there, and they’ve said it’s a blast, getting time to spend with the kids.

“You’re playing in a game where most of the audience is Little League kids, and they’re pretty excited. I think it’s going to be a fun show for all of us." [H/T MLB.com]

Aaron Judge's tryst with baseball began in the year 2000 in Linden's Little League, where he played first base.

“It was pretty competitive," he said. "We had some pretty good teams back then, so it definitely got me ready for the big leagues.” [H/T MLB.com]

And ready it did, as Judge has now added another MLB record to his list.

Aaron Judge hit 300th career home run to set MLB record

Judge hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium as a Pinstriper on Aug. 13, 2016, during his first plate appearance in the Bronx. On Aug. 14, 2024, he crossed the 300 home run mark, still wearing Yankee pinstripes, during the team's win over the Chicago White Sox. Chad Kuhl was the pitcher who gave up the record-breaking home run in the eighth inning.

This home run not only pushed Judge’s season total to 43 long ones, but it also set a new MLB record for the fastest player to reach 300 homers. This record was previously held by Ralph Kiner, who reached 300 home runs in 1087 games. Aaron Judge broke this record by reaching the milestone in just 955 games.