Judge not satisfied with AL pennant: 'We came here for the ultimate prize'

Aaron Judge is proud of the New York Yankees for winning the American League pennant following Saturday's ALCS win over the Cleveland Guardians, but the captain wants more.

"We didn't come here for this," Judge said, according to the New York Post's Ryan Dunleavy.

"We came here for the ultimate prize."

The Yankees advanced to the World Series for the first time since 2009 thanks to Juan Soto's game-winning three-run home run in the 10th inning Saturday. Giancarlo Stanton was named ALCS MVP after hitting four homers and seven RBIs in the series.

Judge said the Yankees' journey to the World Series was more about how they dealt with adversity over the season than any stand-out performances. He also credited his teammates for their toughness throughout the campaign.

"You make friends in good times, but adversity builds a family," Judge said.

"It builds a trust that we're going to have each other's backs in good times and bad. That's what we went through (in 2024). I know we won our division, but we went through some tough times and had to answer some tough questions. Those tough times build moments like this."

The Yankees will turn their attention to the winner of the NLCS between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. The two squads square off Sunday, with the Dodgers holding a 3-2 lead in the series.