Aaron Judge is beaming with joy as Team USA is through to the WBC final. His first stint as a captain deserves some praise. In what should have been a moment of triumph, Judge instead found himself in the crosshairs of the Yankees fanbase.

“Really? So the passion that these fans are showing for their team is bigger and better than Yankee fans showing passion for the team you play for, Aaron Judge, the team you’re captain for, for 162 games?” WFAN Sports Radio host Tommy Lugauer vents in disbelief. 

Aaron Judge and his team attracted a lot of doubt after their pool stage loss to Italy. People weren’t happy with the tournament’s favorites’ fate dwindling on a possible three-way tiebreaker. But the Americans have had back-to-back knockout wins since then. And following their semifinal win, Judge addressed the atmosphere on Sunday night. 

“It’s been bigger. The World Series I was in, the crowd here, the crowd we had when we played Mexico. It’s bigger and better than the World Series. The passion these fans have… there’s nothing like it,”  he said.

The fans of Team USA definitely cheered to that. But the Yankees Nation? Well, they seemed to have been rubbed the wrong way. Tommy Lugauer has openly criticized the Yankees captain. 

“So the passion, the energy, the fun that is at Yankee Stadium in the World Series for the biggest prize in sports, in baseball, that isn’t bigger and better and more passionate than the WBC? That’s what you’re trying to tell me. Best and most successful franchise in all the sports, the Yankees, the Pinstripes, all the championships,” he said. 

The Yankees are the most decorated team in MLB history, with 41 World Series appearances and 27 victories, and to give you a perspective, the next on the list is the St. Louis Cardinals with only 11 victories. 

However, the pinstripes haven’t won a World Series since 2009. Their most recent encounter was in 2024, where they lost 4-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers. And that was the only World Series that Aaron Judge has been part of in his career. 

“Nothing! So, a cold night in the Bronx, October baseball, the World Series, that doesn’t hold a candle to the WBC crowd,” Lugauer reacted sharply to Judge’s comments. 

He simply implied that Judge is uninitiated in the passion that Yankees fans show. The way the fans ignore the weather just to support the team through the postseason – it deserves more than “there’s nothing like it.”

But it’s not a comparison between the USA fans and Yankees Nation. Judge’s comments actually spark the debate that we see in almost every edition of WBC. And he’s not the only one calling it “bigger”.

Aaron Judge’s take on the WBC crowd echoes sentiments heard across many MLB clubhouses

The Dodgers’ Kiké Hernández has clarified that the national representation makes the WBC crowd feel bigger. “I’ve played in five World Series, and I don’t know if it’s because of what’s across my chest, but the Classic feels above that,” he said. 

Mike Trout, the former captain who led Team USA in 2023, also shared the sentiment after his finals run. “The time of my life representing that USA on my chest! The energy was electric and made the WBC a moment I’ll always cherish,” the 11x All-Star stated. 

Many other players like Trea Turner, Luis Arraez, and Manny Machado have addressed the WBC atmosphere to be more electric. Some have even echoed the same “bigger and better” phrasing, considering the stakes and passion in the Classic.

Aaron Judge called it a “blessing” and said he got “chills” while standing in line as the names were being announced. He stated, “it felt like a childhood dream moment.” It didn’t feel like he was trying to belittle the Yankees fans. He was simply in awe of his first WBC knockout atmosphere.

Regardless, his comments have struck a nerve. Many believe that the passion for the October run is lost on him. While there have been backlashes across the internet, many prominent MLB stars have felt the same way about the World Baseball Classic. While the debate goes on, Aaron Judge and co. prepare for their second WBC title.