Phillies 1B/DH Bryce Harper appeared on the Pat McAfee Show earlier today and expressed his enthusiasm and excitement to be playing with the World Baseball Classic Captain and current Yankees Captain, reigning American League MVP, right fielder Aaron Judge.
Harper told McAfee, “There’s nobody else I’d rather be wearing the captaincy on his chest than Judgey. I’ve been excited to play with him the whole time.”
Aaron Judge himself has mentioned high praise for the 33-year-old Harper, who came up as a 19-year-old phenom in 2012 with the Washington Nationals, and has been the leading pillar of a Philadelphia Phillies team since signing a 13-year, 330 million dollar contract with them back during the 2018-19 offseason, per Spotrac.
Judge And Harper Have Mutual Respect For One Another
Judge told McAfee, “I think one of the coolest things, I was talking to Harper before the postseason last year. He texted me probably the coolest thing. He was like, Hey, one thing I tell myself every postseason, every big game…” own the moment, don’t let the moment own you,” stated Judge.
Judge went on to add how there are lots of “unknowns” in baseball, and that if you are put in even the smallest “big moments”, perhaps with “nobody on base, who cares? Go out there and own it”, stated Judge.
Harper and Judge are two faces of the sport and the MLB, widely regarded for their elite skills and styles of play. It’s really fascinating to see the excitement both of these players have about being teammates over the next few weeks. Also, seeing the mutual respect both of these talented players have for one another is really commendable.
Harper has had his postseason successes, owning a career .274 batting average, 17 home runs, and 34 RBIs in 57 career postseason games, according to StatMuse.
Both Have World Series Aspirations
Aaron Judge has had his own postseason moments, most recently last year’s postseason in 2025 versus the Toronto Blue Jays, when he hit .500 with 1 home run and 7 RBI in 7 postseason games, according to StatMuse. Judge made that one home run count, in which he turned around an inside 100 mph fastball against Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland for a three-run home run to tie the game in the 4th inning of ALDS game 3 at Yankee Stadium.
Harper and Judge, despite their differing postseason moments and successes, are both chasing their first championships with their individual franchises. Both players are the same age (33) and understand how critical the 2026 season is to their own World Series aspirations with their respective teams.
But for now, those aspirations will be put aside for the next couple of weeks, as both will look to become champions in this World Baseball Classic, representing Team USA. The Team USA roster is filled with so many of the game’s best players, which also include young pitching phenom and 2025 NL CY Young Winner Paul Skenes, catcher Cal Raleigh, infielders Bobby Witt Jr, Gunnar Henderson, Alex Bregman, and outfielders Pete Crow Armstrong and Byron Buxton. Add Judge and Harper to the mix, and it’s easy to see why Team USA is the perennial favorite to win the entire tournament.
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