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While Aaron Judge’s Bet on Himself Worked Wonders in 2022, the Fan Who Caught His 62nd Homer Wouldn’t Say the Same

Published 12/18/2022, 6:30 AM EST

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Aaron Judge, who left 2022 with 62 homers, an American League MVP award, a Hank Aaron award, and the establishment of being the new home-run king, remained the talk of New York and the entire world of MLB as his free-agency emerged. However, no one seemed to have forgotten his iconic 62nd homer that broke Roger Maris’ record. Business Cory Youmans caught the same ball. The ball recently reached its selling price… and the price didn’t skyrocket like we all thought it would.

The last week of September, after Aaron Judge smashed his 61st homer against the Blue Jays, witnessed excited New Yorkers cheering for the outfielder every time he reached the box. However, after touching 61, Judge became a victim of pitchers letting him walk. And as a result, his quest for his 62nd round trip only continued to stretch.

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The Aaron Judge 62nd homer ball doesn’t prove to be great under pressure…

Finally, in the Yankees’ last season of 2022, Aaron Judge smashed his 62nd homer against the Texas Rangers. Businessman Cory Youmans, who caught the star slugger’s 62nd homer ball, received a buying offer for $3 million, a month after he caught the ball.

Instead of going for that whopping $3 million, Youmans decided to put the ball up for auction. And as reported by Front Office Sports, the bidding for the future-Yankees captain’s ball sold for $1.5 million, half of what Youmans was set to get earlier.

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Naturally, everyone wanted that ball, someone even jumped in the pit to get it, but after Youmans got it and missed a great opportunity, fans were on their toes to roast Youmans. And that’s exactly what they did.

Ironically or not, Aaron Judge’s home run ball succumbed under pressure and failed to get past the mere two-month gamble, unlike Aaron Judge, who fought against all the odds and proved his critics wrong in his free agency year.

How did the $1.5 million 62nd homer ball affect the Judge’s 2023 offseason?

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After the Houston Astros knocked out the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series, Aaron Judge’s free agency began. The outfielder had two blatant bidders – the Pinstripes and the Giants.

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A bidding war between the two teams commenced and reached its climax during the Winter Meetings. Ultimately, the Yankees proved their historic power and beat the Giants to capture Aaron Judge for a nine-year, $360 million contract. If not for his 62nd homer, his signing price would be significantly lower.

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Watch This Story: From Black Betsy To Wonder Boy: Baseball’s Most Iconic Bats

All in all, what do you think about Cory Youmans’ greedy decision? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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Written by:

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is an MLB author for EssentiallySports. He is pursuing his BBA degree, specializing in Communications & Media with a Public Policy minor. Along with his keen interest in politics and questions about society, he has written multiple research papers about a variety of topics, ranging from stand-up comedy to the Indian Education System.
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