“You Are Ours”: How Aaron Judge’s Football Career Was Sacked by his Fresno Baseball Coach

In 2022, Aaron Judge was voted the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year, for hitting 62 home runs and breaking the American League record that had stood for 6 decades. Standing at 6-foot-7 and weighing 280 pounds, the towering right fielder not only overlooks his teammates and opponents on the diamond but seems to have a level of athleticism that could transcend to other sports.

Considering baseball is one of the harder sports, it’s not surprising that baseball players would be athletic enough to excel at other sports. However, Aaron Judge’s exceptional size and strength make him a standout candidate. Reminiscent of an NFL tight end, Judge could have easily been a two-sport star, which was not far from happening.

In the book ‘Incredible Story of a New York Yankees Phenom: Aaron Judge’, David Fisher highlighted that Judge having played football in high school even asked Mike Batsole, his baseball coach at Fresno State, if he could try out for the football team. Batesole, who was already impressed by Judge’s speed and agility, likened him to an NFL running back, noting how effortlessly Judge could outpace his teammates.

Fresno State was a powerhouse in Division I football, and it is fair to say that Judge could have been an immediate contributor. However, Coach Batesole’s response was unequivocal: “We gave you a baseball scholarship, so you are ours.” This decision marked the end of Judge’s football aspirations and solidified his path in baseball.

Today, the only mark of football on Aaron Judge’s life is his zeal for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and its players. His story is a fascinating glimpse into what might have been.

Aaron Judge: A Three-Sport Player

The buck did not stop at football either. Basketball was another sport Aaron Judge excelled in. The three-sport superstar at Linden High was the leading scorer on the basketball team. When he made the varsity basketball team as a sophomore,  Judge proved to be a menace on the court. As the starting center, Fisher notes that Judge “was a prodigious shot-blocker, and an unstoppable rebounder.”

His love for basketball emerged through his father who was a big fan. He would make Judge watch VHS tapes of Michael Jordan who himself became a colossal fan of Jordan. Judge mentions “In high school, I got a chance (you know) to wear 23 all the way through, “ representing Jordan. He also goes on to mention that the “shoes I wanted to wear for basketball (were) always Jordans”

Judge’s athletic prowess made him a three-sport star: as a pitcher and first baseman for the baseball team, a wide receiver for the football team, and as a center for the basketball team. Despite his talents, Baseball was his favorite. A professional career beckoned and he answered, becoming one of the sport’s notable figures today.