Aaron Judge, captain of the New York Yankees, has sent a clear message to teams that failed to qualify for the MLB World Series, highlighting a possible reason they didn’t make it.
The 2024 World Series, featuring the Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, is a powerful matchup between two teams unafraid to spend money to strengthen their rosters.
According to Aaron Judge, teams willing to invest in talent and make bold moves have a better chance of competing for a championship. He emphasized that they also need to be more aggressive in the free-agent market and in making trades.
“I feel like, you know, you see all these other leagues, like the NBA, where the minute free agency opens, 1,520 players are already signing. I’d love to see that with us, where teams are actively looking to improve their squad or aiming to be better than they were last year. I think, definitely, in a series like this, we’ve got two teams that went out, made a lot of moves, and brought in a lot of players,” Judge said.
The impact of the Yankees’ and Dodgers’ aggressive moves
Both the Yankees and Dodgers made major acquisitions in the offseason. The Dodgers, in particular, made a historic investment by signing Shohei Ohtani. They also added players like Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Teoscar Hernández, and Tyler Glasnow.
The Yankees, meanwhile, acquired Juan Soto in a bold trade with the San Diego Padres. This decision proved crucial to their success in the regular season and playoffs.
The role of talent investment in MLB success
The 2024 World Series serves as a prime example of how teams willing to invest in top talent can rise to the top. As the 2025 MLB season approaches, teams will face important decisions about their rosters and strategies.