Aaron Judge Has Huge Night, MVP Season Continues As He Seeks New Contract

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One of the biggest subplots of this season has been the play -- and contract negotiations -- of New York Yankees star Aaron Judge.

Judge is putting up MVP-caliber numbers at the plate, and he added two more long balls to his total on Friday night. He became the first player in the league to crack 40 bombs, and even added number 41 for good measure.

He is currently leading the league with 41 homers (next closest is Philly's Kyle Schwarber with 32) and 89 RBI. On Friday night, he even showed off the leather, robbing the first batter of the game of a leadoff home run.

Later in the game, he hit a grand slam to cap off a 6-RBI performance.

Everything is good right now for the Yankees and their fans. Judge is well on his way to winning MVP, the Yanks have the best record in baseball and are one of the favorites to win the World Series.

However, Judge is in a contract year and will be a free agent following the season. This past offseason, he turned down over $200 million from the Yankees, electing to bet on himself. The bet is playing off in a massive way, as Judge likely seeks a deal to make him the highest-paid player in baseball.

And that might not be with the Yankees, as Judge himself has even intimated.

Even if New York doesn't sign him long-term, fans should sit back and enjoy the ride. Judge is doing things that no one else in baseball is doing right now, and he could cement his Yankee legacy with a ring in October.

But it just may be the last time Yankees fans see him in pinstripes.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to Outkick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named “Brady” because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.