Aaron Judge loves the Yankees. He has long been a proud member of the franchise that first called him up to the majors in late 2016. Yet, it’s always exciting to learn what else he enjoys other than playing for the Yankees. For instance, last year around the same time, Judge revealed how he loves hitting In-N-Out when the team goes to the West Coast for games. Well, not just Los Angeles; there’s another city he absolutely loves and it’s come up again in the most ironic way.

After the Yankees’ 2025 season ended Wednesday in a 5-2 loss and a four-game thumping in the American League Division Series, some of Judge’s intriguing remarks from this year’s All-Star game have resurfaced.

When he was asked his favorite arena to play in other than your own, he said, “I love playing in Toronto. It’s always fun playing there. It’s a good atmosphere. They give me a lot of crap for wearing 99 like Gretzky, so I like kind of going back and forth with the fans on that one.”

Both Wayne Gretzky and Aaron Judge wear #99 jerseys. The conversation around Judge and NHL legend Gretzky often touches on the legacy of the number 99 and the potential for Judge to become a comparable legend in baseball.

Interestingly, a year after Judge was called up to major leagues, he was told that 99 is really an epic number, especially in Canada. Of course, because of NHL great Gretzky. He had no clue about the number’s significance or who Gretzky was. However, he learned what makes #99 special and now Toronto fans still bring it up from time to time.

Aaron Judge’s confession about Toronto being his favorite road city to play in came back during the All-Star break. That time, it didn’t make much of a big deal like it’s making now.

It resurfaced right after the Blue Jays eliminated the Yankees. However, Toronto actually has fans who love Aaron Judge for his class and sportsmanship. Since the video started making rounds again, Canadian fans have been showering him with love and wishing he’d been part of a winning team instead of the Yankees.

Aaron Judge is winning hearts all over again

While many have time and again expressed their discontent with the Yankees’ management and team dynamics, they can’t help but love Aaron Judge for his exemplary personal conduct. “He’s too pure for that s–mbag franchise. I just can’t be a certified hater; he seems like a good-natured dude who also happens to be one of the greatest talents of all time.” Judge has yet to win a World Series title to his name. It’s been widely argued as of late that the Yankees are wasting his prime years.

The growing frustration towards the Yankees from fans is growing louder than ever. “He legit is my favorite opp, man; his personality doesn’t coincide with that terrorist organization at all.” Judge hails from Linden, California and raised by two devoted teachers, and now a father himself, he naturally had grounded values long before he made his career in baseball.

In fact, Judge has had many heartwarming fan interactions at Rogers Center. “Always liked Judge. He’s a hell of a class act. The way he interacts with the fans shows how good of a dude he is!” Some years back, he signed a baseball for a young fan donning a jersey with his name and the kid was visibly in tears. This was just one of the many such fan interactions Judge has had over the years.

This series really was a turning point for many fans. “After this series with the Yankees and watching all the players and management in the Yankees, I dislike everyone except Judge.” It’s nearly shocking that a team like the Yankees—talented and highly paid—hasn’t hoisted the World Series trophy since 2009.

It’s nearly baffling that despite putting up a stellar season, he couldn’t even make it to the ALCS because of his team’s costly errors and high-stakes moments. “If he doesn’t want to be relentlessly criticized and disrespected, he can come here.” It led to many Toronto fans wishing he was playing for the Blue Jays. It’s hard to picture Aaron Judge achieving more than he already did this year. During the regular season, Judge led the American League in key stats like overall value to his team (WAR of 9.7), runs scored (137), walks (124), batting average (.331), on-base percentage (.457), slugging (.688), OPS (1.145), and total bases (372).