As Aaron Decide mentioned the Yankees’ loss to the Dodgers within the World Sequence, the celebrity mentioned that the expertise “will stick with me until I die.”
Decide didn’t carry out notably effectively within the World Sequence or playoffs, hitting .184 with three residence runs and 9 RBI general. He additionally dropped a straightforward line drive in Recreation 5 of the Fall Basic, sparking a disastrous fifth inning within the Yankees’ final lack of the season.
At one level, earlier within the World Sequence, Decide mentioned that he felt like he was letting his group down. It was an unfamiliar place for the Yankees’ captain, as he carried the membership all through the common season.
These pre-playoff efforts shall be acknowledged on Thursday night time, as Decide is anticipated to win his second American League MVP Award in a landslide. Juan Soto, baseball’s most coveted free agent after hitting in entrance of Decide all season, and Kansas Metropolis’s Bobby Witt Jr. are additionally finalists.
Solely six gamers have beforehand gained two MVPs with the Yankees: Alex Rodriguez, Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio and Lou Gehrig. Mantle, Berra and DiMaggio all gained three in pinstripes, that means Decide might be a part of a fair smaller membership earlier than his profession ends.
“It’s loopy to consider,” Decide advised the Day by day Information on the finish of the common season. “I love playing this game, but I never thought I’d be in the likes of some of baseball’s all-time greatest players and all-time great Yankees. So it’s tough to put into words, to be honest.”
Decide, who gained his first MVP in 2022 after resetting the AL residence run report with 62 dingers, had an arguably higher season in 2024. The 32-year-old led all of his friends in residence runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), OBP (.458), slugging (.701), OPS (1.159), wRC+ (218), wOBA (.476) and fWAR (11.2). He did all that on the plate whereas enjoying heart area full time to accommodate Soto.
“We’re watching a traditionally nice participant,” Aaron Boone mentioned in September.
“What he was ready to do that yr is one thing that we haven’t seen from a right-handed hitter possibly within the historical past of the sport,” added Yankees hitting coach James Rowson.
Rowson is appropriate, as no righty has ever completed a season with a better wRC+ than Decide. Solely Ted Williams, Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds have posted higher marks.
As miraculous as Decide’s 2024 marketing campaign was — along with his 2022 and Rookie of the Yr-winning 2017 seasons — Brian Cashman puzzled if poor well being has robbed Decide of extra comparable years.
“I really feel like we’ve been denied similar-type seasons doubtlessly from him as a result of a few of these seasons bought minimize brief with damage,” the final supervisor mentioned. “It just seems like whenever he’s playing, he’s operating at such a superhuman level, stuff that we have not seen before. And so it’s a pleasure to call him ours, call him captain, and having him lead us. But wow, it’s a great gift for our fans to watch what’s currently a living legend.”
Teammates view Decide’s offensive prowess in an identical method.
Take Anthony Rizzo, for instance. The free agent first baseman advised The Information that he all the time congratulates Decide each time he reaches a spherical quantity or milestone, even when it’s one thing as mundane as 30 homers.
“I know it’s not easy,” mentioned Rizzo, one in all Decide’s closest mates on the Yankees the previous few years. “It’s going to be amazing years down the road to say I was part of this, because he is doing things that are very rare in this game.”
Then there’s Giancarlo Stanton, who is aware of what it’s wish to put up MVP numbers for a whole season. He gained the Nationwide League award in 2017 when he bashed 59 residence runs for the Marlins.
“It’s extremely hard,” Stanton told The News of sustaining such production, “and [Judge] makes it look easy. So people almost take it for granted how good he is, how good he’s been, as if it’s the norm. But it’s not the norm. It’s not normal.”
Stanton mentioned that Decide’s improved plate self-discipline — one thing he bought away from within the playoffs — and skill to place the ball within the air extra fueled his spectacular season. The numbers again that up, as Decide’s 18.9 BB% was his highest ever over a full wholesome season, as was his 46.2% flyball price (he had increased percentages in 2023 however missed two months with a toe damage).
Decide’s 18.7% chase price was additionally the bottom of his profession.
“You make really good pitches against him, you can get him out. But he’s not going to chase,” Boone said before praising Judge’s power. “If you make a mistake, you’re getting a new ball.”
Rizzo, in the meantime, marveled at Decide’s career-high common. In spite of everything, not many 6-7, 282-pound sluggers hit .322.
“He’s the whole package,” Rizzo mentioned, noting that huge league pitching is nearly as good because it’s ever been.
What made Decide’s common season all of the extra spectacular is that he basically gave the remainder of the league a one-month head begin.
Whereas he nonetheless had six homers and a .331 OBP, Decide hit simply .197 over his first 33 video games. Some puzzled if one thing was unsuitable with the All-Star, and he was repeatedly peppered with questions on his swing and well being after lacking a while with an stomach problem in spring coaching.
“As a leader on this team, you gotta take some hits,” Decide mentioned. “You gotta be the one. I’d somewhat have individuals yelling at me, booing me, than booing a teammate. So I’ll take that load anytime. And I feel crucial factor was we have been in first place. In order that’s sort of what makes it so much simpler.”
Decide felt that his timing was off in April, so he made a number of mechanical changes on the plate, together with the adoption of a barely closed off stance.
What adopted was an all-time 125-game stretch that noticed Decide hit .357/.492/.787 with 52 homers and 126 RBI.
“I’m always tweaking,” mentioned Decide, who additionally talked about that he benefited from watching Soto work at-bats all season. “I’ve been altering issues all the way in which since my rookie yr, and I feel it’s simply lots of people don’t discover it, however they wish to discover that as a result of some good issues occurred.”
Decide added that he hopes to enhance “in a pair totally different areas. Hopefully, I’m enhancing till I’m 40 years previous and so they rip the jersey away from me.”
At this level, there’s not a lot Decide can get higher at offensively. With him about to affix some elite Yankees firm, the most important factor lacking from his résumé is a championship.
Decide missed that chance in 2024. Earlier than doing so, Boone acknowledged that “winning it all would certainly add a level to his legacy.”
Decide is aware of that to be true, as he’s effectively conscious that Yankees greats are judged on rings, not private accolades.
“I wish to win,” he mentioned. “That’s why I play. It’s why I attempt to make enhancements and put this group in the perfect place each single yr. It’s about profitable a World Sequence.
“Some people win them early in their career. Some people win them in the middle of their career. Some people win them at the very end of their career. So there’s a lot of unknown, but that’s what kind of motivates me every single year to go out there.”
