As USA Baseball made the announcement Monday that New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge would serve as the captain for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, the reaction on social media was immediate. World Series champion and former Kansas City Royal Eric Hosmer was pumped up about the move.

I'm inclined to think that Judge would have an uphill battle but still eventually make the Hall of Fame if he just decided to retire tomorrow. The current path on which he's headed suggests this discussion is moot and he'll be enshrined long down the road, just about five years after he does decide to retire.

Shortly after giving the Yankees an early lead with an RBI single in the top of the first, Judge helped save a run in the bottom of the frame when he threw out a runner trying to