Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees and a leading contender for the American League MVP, showcased his leadership by organizing a players-only meeting in early September during the team’s series against the Texas Rangers.
At the time, the Yankees were under media scrutiny for failing to create distance between themselves and the Baltimore Orioles in the standings and for not recalling Jasson Dominguez when rosters expanded on September 1. According to a report by The Athletic, the meeting was pivotal in refocusing the team and helped propel them to clinch the AL East title.
Judge explained that he felt the team needed a reset, stressing the importance of unity and focusing on what happens within the clubhouse. His message to his teammates centered on working together and blocking out external distractions.
“I thought it was a good idea for me to say a couple of words and kind of talk it out, get guys focused,” Judge told The Athletic on Thursday night. “What’s important is in this room, and what we do in here.”
Teammates confirm Judge’s clubhouse session
Several teammates, including Clarke Schmidt, Luke Weaver, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Alex Verdugo, praised the meeting’s effect on the team. Weaver highlighted how the Judge-led gathering brought the group back to their shared goal, reminding everyone that their success depended on collective effort, not individual performances.
“It was just more of a meeting of, ‘Let’s be where our feet are’ a little bit,” Schmidt revealed about the Judge’s speech in the closed-door meet. “‘Let’s worry about what we’ve got going on here. The chips are going to fall where they’re going to fall. We can control what we can control. Let’s just stay locked in. Any clubhouse you walk into, you have MLB Network on (or) you have your own broadcast on, and that can be even dicey in itself. It’s part of it. It’s part of the game here when you play in New York. You are going to be constantly talked about, whether it’s yourself personally or the team. You just have to be aware that you’ve got to be able to compartmentalize all that stuff.”
“It got you grounded,bearings back in order,” Weaver remarked about Judge’s call. “It made you remember what’s going on. It helped slow things down a little bit. I think at the end of the day, sometimes you need that reminder. You need to be able to be like, ‘I don’t have to do it my individual self. We’re a team.’”
“The biggest thing that I took away from that (meeting) is that we are here together,” Cabrera spoke about the meeting Judge presided. “We are in this situation. The players. The coaches. We are a group. We are a family. We have to take care of each other.”
“I think that’s mainly it,” Verdugo told about Judge’s message. “The season is very long. So, in the middle, it’s kind of like, ‘Oh, man. We’ve still got (a couple) more months, right?’ It’s like a marathon runner or even a sprinter. Anyone who sees the finish line, you’re not going to just quit. You see it and you’re like, ‘All this hard work or all this pain or whatever I went through, it’s right there. Let’s push through it.’”
The meeting underscored Judge’s leadership both on and off the field, helping guide the Yankees through a difficult stretch and keeping their eyes on the bigger picture: a deep playoff run.
Though the Yankees dropped two of three games in the Rangers series, they have since regained momentum at the right time. With a 13-6 record in their last 19 games and just three regular-season contests left, the team is close to securing the best record in the American League. Their magic number to clinch home-field advantage through the AL Championship Series is now two, with the Cleveland Guardians in pursuit.
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