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Join NOwTAMPA — Aaron Judge thought not making the postseason felt bad.
Then the Yankees used the fuel from that dreaded 2023 season to reach the World Series in 2024, only to fall short to the Dodgers, not to mention in rough fashion across five games.
It marked a step forward, just not in the department of good feelings.
“Getting to the dance and then losing out on it is definitely a lot worse than not even getting in,” Judge said Monday after the first full-squad workout at Steinbrenner Field. “So guys are ready to get back to work and get us back in that spot and rewrite the script.
“Getting a chance to nibble on that final piece and trying to get close to a championship, I think that really drives that hunger and passion of guys,” added Judge, who struggled offensively in October and had a crucial error in the deciding Game 5 of the World Series.
Plenty has changed since the Yankees last took the field. Juan Soto is gone; Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Max Fried and Devin Williams are here; and Judge is now a two-time AL MVP and a father.
But the end goal remains the same for the Yankees captain, who lauded the new-look roster with the offseason acquisitions coupled with younger players taking another step forward.
They will have to do it without Soto, who teamed with Judge last year to put together one of the most dominant regular seasons by any duo.
Judge — who alone hit .322 with 58 home runs and a 1.159 OPS — said he “wasn’t too surprised” by Soto signing a $765 million contract with the Mets and insisted he was happy for Soto.
But he did have one bone to pick with Soto, who said in December he felt the Mets gave him the best chance to win championships over the next 15 years.
“That’s his opinion — he can say what he wants,” Judge said. “I definitely disagree with him. But I wasn’t too surprised by it. I think that’s where he wanted to be, that’s where is best for him and his family. He got a pretty nice deal over there, so you can’t say no to that.”
Soto said no to a $760 million offer from the Yankees, who in turn went out and traded for Bellinger and signed Goldschmidt.
“Two guys that are former MVPs, guys that still want to improve,” Judge said. “They’re going to add such a different dynamic to this team. It really lengthens our whole lineup when you have those guys batting in the middle of the order.”
As for where Judge lands in that order? He has told Boone he would love to keep hitting third, as he did behind Soto last season, though the manager indicated he is leaning toward batting Judge second.
In the end, Judge said, he will hit wherever the Yankees want him to if it gives them the best lineup.
And while Judge was not lacking any motivation, given how last season ended, the 32-year-old said he gained more when he became a dad in January as he and his wife, Sam, welcomed a baby girl named Nora.
“I play for this city, I play for the fans, I play for my family,” Judge said. “But now having a little girl, having a chance to have her grow up and watch me do what I love, if there’s any way I can inspire her through playing this game to do something special, that’s going to be pretty cool.
“It’s more motivation. I don’t want her to think her dad — I’m getting older, I don’t want to be the old man here in a couple years. So I gotta stay on top of my game. She’s definitely going to motivate me, keep me on my toes. It’s going to be a fun couple years, that’s for sure.”