AARON JUDGE STILL LAMENTS LOSS TO ASTROS

With the 2020 season finally underway, Aaron Judge reflected on the Yankees' heartbreaking loss to the Astros during Game 6 of the last American League Championship Series. He and his teammates hope to return to baseball by achieving the victory they failed to win last year.

"It was a tough loss and I kind of just spoke to the team and I just said "Hey guys, don't forget this feeling. Don't forget this emptiness. You're mad. You're thinking about what we could have done different...As we get ready for the 2020 season, remember that you don't want this feeling again,"" Judge said to his teammates. "And then [I asked] "What can we do? What can we do differently to prepare the right way so that outcome doesn't happen again. You watch the film, you learn what you need to work on, focus on, and then you move forward.""

"And that's what we're going to try to do now is learn from our mistakes and move forward into this 2020 season and do what needs to [be done], kind of get past that, to that next step," said Judge.

Ever since their shattering loss, Judge and his teammates have been committed to improve themselves for the next season. Even though the world came to a grinding halt due to the pandemic, the Yankees continued to practice to make their comeback from such a haunting defeat.

"It was one of the most heartbreaking emotional times of my sports career," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "It was such a raw life moment and the closeness that existed with that team, the belief that "All the way to the end we're going to win," I felt like was how everyone felt. So the cruel ending of it all...I do remember Judgey in his way, in a strong way, saying that to us."

"I think that just added to the sting, to how real that moment was and and I always feel like falling down does add another log to their fire," said Boone. "That certainly was the case and I feel like in spring training and now in summer camp. I'm witnessing that fire burning, burning strongly with these guys."

We'll all see whether or not that fire will burn bright enough for the Yankees to win in their season opener against the Nationals tonight.

--Anthony Orlando

BYB Contributor

Twitter: @landi52orlando