Aaron Judge Torches Ridiculous Narrative That Team USA Didn't Care About World Baseball Classic

Team USA's run through the World Baseball Classic was a bit of a mixed bag. 

The pitching staff, assumed to be the team's weakness, was a strength throughout. Even with Tarik Skubal deciding to skip a second start and continue his progression through spring training. But the team's lineup did not live up to expectations, despite being filled with superstars. Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Cal Raleigh, Alex Bregman, Bobby Witt Jr. Comparisons to an All-Star team undersold just how good that lineup was. 

But the results were ultimately disappointing, as they lost in the final to Team Venezuela and were marred by several criticisms. One of the most common and prominent was that they may have underperformed in part because they didn't care as much about winning relative to more demonstrative teams like the Dominican Republic or Puerto Rico. 

Well, Judge addressed some of those complaints, some versions of which were essentially repeated by reporters like ESPN's Jeff Passan. And he was clearly not thrilled with those suggesting he and his teammates didn't care.

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United States right fielder Aaron Judge. (Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images)

Judge Fights Back Against Criticisms Of Team USA's Lack Of Emotion

Speaking to reporters Friday afternoon at spring training, Judge fired back at critics, saying that different approaches between countries do not mean less passion.

"Everybody’s different. Every culture is different," he said. "I loved everything that Mexico was doing, what Great Britain was doing, the D.R., with how they celebrate the game and how their fans celebrate the game. That was amazing.

"If they’re going to say we don’t have the passion — my passion is grinding in this cage when nobody’s watching, grinding as a 6-year-old in the backyard with my dad. That’s where our passion came from as kids. If I don’t show it really like that, it doesn’t mean I don’t love the game. I can’t really talk on somebody else’s opinion about it. Everybody in that clubhouse, every single one of those guys, that’s probably the most fun they’ve ever had playing the game the past two or three weeks, myself included."

It's ridiculous to say that only outward emotion indicates caring about the outcome. When Harper hit the game-tying homer in the bottom of the 8th inning against Venezuela, the U.S. dugout, and Harper, went nuts. They cared. A lot. Judge even said as much. 

"We had a lot of fun. We had some passion. You saw some emotion from guys you usually don’t see showing emotion," he continued. "We had a blast."

He added that he wants to wear the U.S. jersey anytime he can, and would love to see the tournament moved to within the season, so there are fewer restrictions on players. "My thoughts are, if we’re able to knock it out during the season, I think that’d be great because there’s so many restrictions, even with us," Judge said. "There are certain guys that couldn’t pitch because of this or had to pitch on these days. If you get into it where everyone’s built up, there’s no restrictions, you get to go out there and just play, I think it’ll just be better for the game."

Yes, players from the Dominican Republic team and others were more demonstrative with their enthusiasm, but cultural differences don't mean that U.S. players don't care. The Los Angeles Dodgers, filled with players like Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman, have won the last two World Series despite being more reserved players than other stars. Including winning the 2024 NLDS after being down 2-1 to the San Diego Padres, a team more known for its emotional reactions.

Does that mean it wouldn't be fun to see the U.S. players show a little bit more fire? No, many fans would love it. But anyone questioning whether they cared about winning or not is kidding themselves.