Major League Baseball got a new homerun king this week. Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees reached 62 home runs for the season against the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night, setting a new American League record.
The 30-year-old’s incredible accomplishment is now helping restore enthusiasm among baseball fans, coming many years after previous players’ home-run records were marred by steroid use.
A devout Christian, Judge’s personal story of faith and adoption is right at the center of his remarkable journey.
“What a night. Such a blessing from God to share that moment with so many special people! Thank you @RogerMarisJr, the Yankees, my teammates, my family and all the Yankee fans for such an incredible day!” Judge tweeted.
What a night. Such a blessing from God to share that moment with so many special people! Thank you @RogerMarisJr, the Yankees, my teammates, my family and all the Yankee fans for such an incredible day! pic.twitter.com/soiC52sOth
— Aaron Judge (@TheJudge44) October 5, 2022
Judge credits both his adoptive mother and father with instilling in him the intangibles necessary for a Major League Baseball career. He didn’t succeed in spite of being adopted — he succeeded because he was adopted.
Two days after he was born, Judge was adopted by his parents Patty and Wayne, who were school teachers from Linden, CA.
During an interview with The New York Post in 2015, the very private ballplayer spoke about his adoption story and how he felt about his non-biological parents.
During an interview with The New York Post in 2015, the very private ballplayer spoke about his adoption story and how he felt about his non-biological parents.
“I feel they kind of picked me,” Judge said. “I feel that God was the one that matched us together.”
“Some kids grow in their mom’s stomach; I grew in my mom’s heart,” Judge later added. “She’s always showed me love and compassion ever since I was a little baby. I’ve never needed to think differently or wonder about anything.”
While he was growing up, one day he realized he and his older brother John, who’s also adopted, didn’t look like their parents. So he asked his parents about it and they told him he was adopted.
“I was about 10 or 11 and we really didn’t look alike, so I started asking questions and they told me I was adopted and answered all my questions, and that was that. I was fine with it. It really didn’t bother me because that’s the only parents I’ve known,” Judge said.
He told The Record his parents held him accountable during his high school years, making sure he made his education a priority.
“They’d say, ‘Hey, you’ve got homework to do. You’ve got to finish your math homework and science homework. Then if you have time left over before dinner, you can go play.’ Something like that. I didn’t like it as a kid, but looking back on it, I really appreciate what they did for me,” Judge explained.
But it’s their love and the lessons they taught him that he says he’ll always remember.
“My parents are amazing, they’ve taught me so many lessons,” Judge said. “I honestly can’t thank them enough for what they’ve done for me.”
He has even credited his mom for his baseball career. He told MLB.com in 2017 that he “wouldn’t be a New York Yankee” if it weren’t for his mom.
“The guidance she gave me as a kid growing up, knowing the difference from right and wrong, how to treat people and how to go the extra mile and put in extra work, all that kind of stuff,” he said at the time. “She’s molded me into the person that I am today.”
Paul Batura, Focus on the Family‘s vice president of Communication and author of Chosen for Greatness: How Adoption Changes the World, also gives credit to Aaron’s biological mom for making a pro-life choice.
“Birthmothers cannot and must not feel like second-class citizens, but rather they should be loved and respected women whose sacrificial decisions will help shape the next generation — and beyond,” Batura said.
As for where Aaron Judge gets his humility, the answer may be found on his Twitter page where he also quotes his favorite Bible verse 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
“It’s one of my favorite Bible verses,” Judge told the Daily Citizen last month. “{I} try to live my life by it, and always trust the Man above and what He’s got in store for us. We never know what’s around the corner, but if we have faith in Him, He will lead us in the right direction.”
On the “About Me” section of his account, “baseball” is listed fourth, behind “Christian,” “faith,” and “family.”
He ends the section with this quote: “If what you did yesterday still seems big today, then you haven’t done anything today!”
***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***
The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN