Aaron Judge still hasn’t flaunted a World Series ring. But that hasn’t stopped him from staking his claim as the best in the game. Even in the middle of a messy 2025 season for the Yankees, Judge picked up his second straight AL MVP over the weekend. That also made him just the fourth Yankee ever to win three AL MVPs with the team. This puts him in elite company alongside Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Joe DiMaggio.

The Bronx has produced legends like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. But among today’s Yankees, Aaron Judge has made a strong case as the face of the franchise. Still, longtime Yankee Willie Randolph pushed back on that idea with a funny response.

“You know I’ve been in this town a long time, and Aaron. I know you’re two-time, then you go to two-time MVP and all that stuff three times, and everything like that. But don’t get too big for your pinstripes because this is my town. Okay, this is my town. I want you to know that. Okay, all right, yes, just just want to be, you know,” Randolph said in his BBWAA ceremony.

The 2026 BBWAA dinner felt like an Aaron Judge celebration from start to finish, with his record MVP run dominating all the chatter.

And honestly, it’s easy to see why.

Even though the Yankees couldn’t make a deep postseason push in 2025, Judge’s year only strengthened his case as the face of the franchise.

He crushed 53 HRs, won the first batting title of his career with a .331 average, and blended power with consistency in a way very few players of his generation can touch.

That kind of dominance has sparked some big-picture talk about where he belongs in baseball history. MLB.com analyst Steve Phillips even went as far as saying Judge could end his career as the greatest Yankee of all time.

But Willie Randolph wasn’t quite ready to sign off on that.

Notably, Randolph is a New York baseball legend in his own right. He’s a rare figure who found success with both the Yankees and the Mets as a player, coach, and manager over four decades.

And with five World Series rings between the two teams, his resume as a New York sports legend is tough to argue with. So while Judge’s numbers may be overwhelming everyone else, Randolph found a pretty funny way to remind people that he’s still around. And that, in his mind at least, the city is still his!

Aaron Judge is one World Series away from being called a legend

There’s no debating Aaron Judge’s dominance on the field, or the fact that he’s one of the very best active players in MLB right now. Still, Yankees fans have always measured greatness by championships. So even with all his individual brilliance, Judge needs that World Series ring to be stamped as a true, undisputed legend in the Bronx.

But reality is different.

With Judge anchoring the lineup, the Yankees have reached the postseason eight times. And all eight times, the season ended with Judge walking away disappointed, still chasing that ultimate prize. Ironically, 2025 was the best season of his career from start to finish. The reigning AL MVP looked every bit like a guy ready to win the award for a third time, leading all of baseball with a .331 average and posting a ridiculous 1.144 OPS.

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He didn’t fade in October either. In fact, Judge delivered his best playoff performance yet with a 1.273 OPS across seven postseason games. So, at this point, it feels like he’s checked every box except one. Add a single World Series title to that resume, and Judge would be the undisputed face of New York.

Now the big question is whether 2026 is finally the year that happens.