Aaron Judge has joined rarified air.
Upon formally announcing Judge’s new nine-year, $360 million contract, Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner announced that Judge will be the 16th captain in franchise history, the first since Derek Jeter retired.
The Yankees first named a captain in 1903, with pitcher Clark Griffith first having the honor. Here’s a look at all 16 captains in Yankees history:
Clark Griffith
16
Griffith became the Yankees captain during their inaugural season, when they were the New York Highlanders, and held that title through 1905 as a player-manager at a time when captains handled on-field managerial tasks. He had a 2.66 ERA during his five years as a player and a 419-370 record as a manager over five-plus seasons.
Norman ‘Kid’ Elberfeld
16
Elberfeld was Yankees captain from 1906-08, and he finished the 1908 season as their manager after Griffith was fired. The infielder hit .268 with four homers and 257 RBIs over seven seasons with the team.
Willie Keeler
16
Keeler was Yankees captain for one season in 1909, the last of his seven years with the club. The outfielder hit .294 with 10 home runs and 206 RBIs for the team.
Hal Chase
Chase was captain during the 1910 and ’11 seasons, when he also managed the team. Primarily a first baseman, he hit .284 with 20 home runs and 494 RBIs for the Yankees.
Frank Chance
16
Chance joined the franchise in 1913 and was captain that year until midseason. He also managed the team for two seasons, during which he had a 117-168 record and appeared in a total of 13 games as a player.
Rollie Zeider
16
Zeider was the Yankees captain for the remainder of that 1913 season after being traded by the White Sox. He hit .233 with 12 RBIs in 50 games and left for the Chicago Chi-Feds in 1914.
Roger Peckinpaugh
16
The shortstop took over as captain in 1914 and held that title for seven years. In nine seasons with the team he hit .257 with 36 home runs and 428 RBIs. He also finished the 1914 season as the team’s manager.
Babe Ruth
16
In early 1922, Babe Ruth became the franchise’s eighth captain, but he only held that title for about two months. The Bambino, of course, became one of the most iconic athletes ever, hitting 714 career home runs, 659 of which came as a Yankee. He led the franchise to its first four World Series titles.
Lou Gehrig
16
Another one of the franchise’s and sport’s legends, Gehrig was captain from 1935-39, when he retired due to ALS. The Iron Horse held the record for most consecutive games played at 2,130 until Cal Ripken broke it in 1995. In 17 seasons, the two-time MVP hit .340 with 493 home runs and 1,995 RBIs. His No. 4 was the first number retired in team history.
Thurman Munson
16
The Yankees went 37 years without a captain until bestowing the honor onto Munson in 1976. He then went out and won the AL MVP award that season. He was captain until his tragic death in a plane crash in 1979. Munson hit .292 with 113 home runs and 701 RBIs in 11 seasons as the team’s catcher.
Graig Nettles
16
Nettles took over as captain in 1982 and held the title for two seasons before he was traded to the Padres. The six-time All-Star spent 11 seasons with the Yankees, hitting 250 home runs with 834 RBIs during that span.
Willie Randolph
16
Randolph was captain for two seasons from 1986-88. A six-time All-Star and one-time World Series champion, the second baseman played 13 seasons with the Yankees, hitting .275 with 48 homers, 549 RBIs and 251 stolen bases. Randolph shared the captaincy during his tenure.
Ron Guidry
16
Guidry and Randolph were named co-captains in 1986, and Guidry’s tenure lasted until he retired in 1989. “Gator” won two championships with the Yankees over his 14 seasons and won the 1978 AL Cy Young award. He had a 3.29 career ERA with 1,778 strikeouts.
Don Mattingly
16
Mattingly was captain from 1991-95. He was the AL MVP in 1985, when he hit .324 with 35 home runs and 145 RBIs. In 14 seasons, Mattingly hit 222 homers, 442 doubles and 1,099 RBIs.
Derek Jeter
16
Jeter is the longest-tenured captain in franchise history, holding the title from 2003 until his retirement in 2014. His impact on the Yankees is summed up by him becoming known as “The Captain” — five World Series titles, 14-time All-Star, Hall of Famer. He had a career .310 average with 1,923 runs scored and 544 doubles, and he hit .308 over 158 career playoff games.
Aaron Judge
16
Judge was named Yankees captain after a dramatic free-agency process during which he held meetings with the Giants, his childhood team, and the Padres. He ultimately stayed in The Bronx after his record-breaking 2022 campaign in which he hit 62 home runs, eclipsing Roger Maris’ AL and team record of 61. Through 2022, Judge has 220 career home runs.
