NEW YORK — Aaron Judge’s crowded trophy case just got even more cramped.
After taking home the American League’s Most Valuable Player honors, getting a first-team nod on the All-MLB team, grabbing a Silver Slugger award and the Sporting News’ Player of the Year, the larger-than-life figure in the Yankees’ lineup was named the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year on Friday. He beat out second-place finisher Shohei Ohtani (who won the award last year) and Golden State Warriors’ sharpshooter Stephen Curry.
In case you missed it, Judge had quite the year. He set the AL record — and by extension, the Yankees record — by swatting 62 home runs and leading the Yankees to a division crown. He joins Roger Maris (whose record he broke), Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Ron Guidry as fellow Yankees to be recognized as the AP’s Male Athlete of the Year. Before Ohtani, the last two baseball players to win it were Jose Altuve in 2017 and Madison Bumgarner in 2014. Swimmer Katie Ledecky is the AP’s 2022 Female Athlete of the Year.
