Aaron Judge has a few game-day rituals. First, he likes to chew bubblegum before stepping onto the field. There’s also the importance of a good walk-up song: the baseball player, who was recently announced as the 16th captain for the New York Yankees, said he used to listen to “Hello” by Pop Smoke right before a game. Now, he’s testing out some new options, much to the enjoyment of his wife, Samantha Bracksieck. “This is by far the toughest decision any baseball player has to make in the off season,” Judge jokingly told Jimmy Fallon on “The Tonight Show” on Jan. 23.
Judge explained his process. “I make a whole playlist. I have about 30 or 40 songs. I’m in my car. My wife gets mad at me,” he said. “I’ll be sitting there and I’ll be like, ‘Ok, this one. Now batting, number 99, Aaron Judge,” and play it and then you know start it over and I’ll be like ‘What’d you think? Was that it? Ok, next one.'”
The funny anecdote offers a glimpse into Judge’s sweet relationship with Bracksieck. The pair originally met and started dating while in high school in California. They were reportedly on and off before getting back together in 2019, and have flown pretty under the radar since. The high school sweethearts married in Hawaii in December 2021 at a private ceremony.
Listen to Judge delve into the behind the scenes decisions that have shaped his career above.