Which MLB stars are signed with the Jordan brand? Aaron Judge becomes fifth baseball player to align with iconic sportswear company

Recently, Nike Jordan announced that 2022 AL MVP Aaron Judge would be inking a sponsorship deal with the company. With the deal, Judge joins a fairly small circle of elite players to be aligned with the brand.

Founded in 1997 by former NBA great Michael Jordan, the Jordan Brand is one of the most successful athletic brands on earth. Last year, Jordan sales brought in about $5.1 billion in revenue for Nike.

After hitting 62 home runs in 2022, Aaron Judge surpassed the single season record set by Roger Maris in 1961. After his histroric feat, the 6-foot-7 outfielder was penned to a nine-year, $360 million deal. In addition to garnering the biggest contract for any position player in history, he was also named the first captain of the Yankees since Derek Jeter retired in 2014.

"All rise for Judge. The captain fo the New York Yankes @thejudge44 continues to add titles to his name as a member of the Jordan Family" - jumpman23

With the deal, Aaron Judge becomes the fifth player in the current MLB to align himself with Yankees. Los Angeles Dodgers star Mookie Betts is the longest-tenured member of the "Jordan Family" who is still playing.

In addition to Betts, Vladimir Guerrero of the Blue Jays, Manny Machado of the Padres are also Jordan reps. Apart from Judge, the most recent player to set up a brand partnership with Jordan was Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Miami Marlins.

"Jazz Chisholm’s ice cream-inspired Air Jordan 1 cleats" - Nice Kicks

The deal's announcement was tactically released. Judge is only just back in the lineup after missing nearly two months with a broken toe that he sustained on June 4. At the time of his IL assignment, Judge's 19 home runs led the league for the second straight season.

Aaron Judge is quickly becoming a brand in and of himself

Anyone who hits 62 home runs in a single season deserves to be called a superstar. In the case of Aaron Judge, he is quickly becoming the face of not just his team, but of elite baseball altogether.

With a record of 60-61, the Yankees are now fourteen games behind the Baltimore Orioles for the top spot in the AL East. While fans have more or less resigned to the fact that the team is going nowhere this year, at least Aaron Judge can finish off his eighth season in MLB in style.