Aaron Judge keeps it brief after hearing anti-Yankees comment from Hunter Dobbins

Aaron Judge had a productive series at the plate against the Red Sox, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the Yankees from dropping the final two games—one of which came against rookie pitcher Hunter Dobbins, who stirred the pot with an anti-Yankees comment.

In a previous interview with Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald, Dobbins had said, “And I’ve said it before, that if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire.” The comment quickly drew backlash on social media from Yankees fans.

Dobbins is in his first season with Boston, and so far, he’s performed well as a starter with 3-1, 4.20 ERA and 37K. Whether the comment was meant to distract the Yankees or simply add fuel to the rivalry, it worked—he picked up the win in the series finale and got a brief response from Judge afterward.

What did Judge say about Dobbins’ comment?

Regarding Dobbins saying he would rather retire than become a Yankee, Judge didn’t pay much attention to it, though he admitted being surprised and recalled hearing another player say the same thing some time ago.

“I really didn’t hear about it until Eduardo Pérez told me before the game,” Judge said. “I’ve only heard Ken Griffey say that, so I was a little surprised.” When asked if Dobbins’ comments were on his mind early in the game, Judge added: “Once somebody tells you, yeah.”

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When was the last time the Red Sox won a series against the Yankees?

Prior to this one, Boston hadn’t taken a series from the Yankees since July 26–28, 2024, at Fenway Park. After that, the Red Sox hit a rough patch in the rivalry, struggling to find wins against New York. The two teams are scheduled to meet again during the 2025 season from June 13–15.