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ATLANTA, GEORGIA – JULY 15: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees and Samantha Bracksieck attend 2025 MLB All-Star Game red carpet at Truist Park on July 15, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Aaron Judge has reached 10 years of Major League Baseball service time.
“This season, Aaron Judge officially notched 10 Years of Service Time — a feat less than 10% of players achieve in MLB history,” MLBPA wrote.
Judge debuted Aug. 13, 2016, against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. He was 24. He is now 34 and a three-time American League MVP.
The New York Yankees showed how much they need him. He did not play in the postseason due to injury. The offense missed him against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Now that he has completed this historic feat, he shared more news.
Aaron Judge Announces Personal News
Judge recalled the night before his debut. It was his mother who played the most important role behind the scenes before his big day.
“I was at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que in Rochester, New York. We just finished a game playing in Rochester in Triple-A. I got my family there. So we’re just sitting there eating. And our manager at the time, Al Pedrique, comes up and says, ‘Hey, you better finish up this meal. You got to play right field in New York tomorrow.’”
Rochester sits in upstate New York, more than 300 miles from the Bronx. Judge said the news confused him at first.
“I was kind of like, ‘Skip, what are you talking about? We’re in New York right now. Of course I’m playing right field tomorrow.’ He’s like, ‘No, no, no, you’re playing in the Bronx. It was kind of a whirlwind.”
Alex Rodriguez played his final game as a Yankee Aug. 12. The team called up Judge and first baseman Tyler Austin. The trip to the Bronx came with a catch.
“They had a plane fly for me. Late that night, but my parents weren’t going to be able to get on it. So we just all drove from Rochester through the night.”
Judge slept on the back seat of that rental, rolled up. His mother, Patty, took charge of the drive.
“My mom’s like, ‘Hey, I got this. You guys relax and I’ll get us where we need to go.’”
Her offer let Judge rest before a day that changed his career. The overnight drive helped set up a debut Yankees fans still remember.
Patty and Wayne, both teachers, adopted Judge as an infant. The drive ended at a hotel. He woke up the next morning and reached the Bronx.
Judge started in right field and batted eighth against the Rays. Austin, also making his debut, batted seventh.
Andriese tried to float an 87 mph changeup past Judge, but he crushed it to center field, knocking a 446-foot home run.
Aaron Judge Makes Personal Admission on Wife Samantha & Family
Judge said the milestone made him think about sacrifice and he was never alone.
“I think about just the sacrifices my family’s made, my wife and my parents. And just different family members that have sacrificed their time and their energy. To help kind of push me to get here. And just doing what they can to just be in my corner.”
Judge met his wife, Samantha Bracksieck, at Linden High School in California. The couple married in December 2021 in Maui, Hawaii. They welcomed their daughter, Nora Rose, in January 2025.
“So you don’t do it alone. I could have never done this by myself,” Judge added.
Dibyendu Mondal Dibyendu Mondal is a contributor for Heavy Sports with special focus on golf, football, basketball and soccer. With more than two years of experience, he has managed to reach close to 7 million people through his writing. He previously worked as a contributor for Athlon Sports and Sportskeeda. More about Dibyendu Mondal