“I had no chance”: Yankees star Cody Bellinger has forgiven Aaron Judge for 2017 Home Run Derby beating

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: Feb 24, 2025, 16:26 IST

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Cody Bellinger reflects on his 2017 Home Run Derby loss to Aaron Judge, and reveals in an interview with the New York Post that he holds no grudges, acknowledging Judge's superiority. Bellinger shares the pride and special feeling of wearing the Yankees jersey since joining the team in 2024.

“I had no chance”: Yankees star Cody Bellinger has forgiven Aaron Judge for 2017 Home Run Derby beating

Cody Bellinger has forgiven Aaron Judge for 2017 Home Run Derby beating (Image Source: Judge/IG)

It's been 8 years since Aaron Judge beat Cody Bellinger to win the Home Run Derby in 2017. While many fans feel that Bellinger still holds grudges against his New York Yankees teammate, he recently confessed to having forgiven Judge a long time ago. Here's everything Cody Bellinger said about Aaron Judge's 2017 Home Run Derby win.

Cody Bellinger revisits 2017 Home Run Derby loss to Aaron Judge

On Saturday, Cody Bellinger released an exclusive interview with the New York Post, during which he revisited his 2017 Home Run Derby loss to Aaron Judge. Bellinger claimed that he had no win-chance against Judge, and that's why there was no reason to hold any grudges. Opening up about his 8-year-old loss, Bellinger said:
"That I had no chance of winning. It was awesome, it was a great experience. I mean, he’s just different. He’s different."

Cody Bellinger has been with the New York Yankees since 2024. Moving forward in the interview, Bellinger talked about the "special feeling" of getting to wear the Yankees jersey. Talking about what the franchise means to him, Bellinger said:
"When you put on the uniform and you see the logo walking around, you can feel the history, you feel the energy. When you put on the uniform you just feel what all the great players felt, and it’s a special, special feeling."
Before Cody Bellinger talked about his 2017 Home Run Derby loss to Aaron Judge, the Yankees captain launched praises for him during a Yankees press conference last week. Opening up about his excitement to play alongside Bellinger in the upcoming 2025 MLB season, Judge said:
“It's exciting. A lot of different pieces that have come in," Judge said. "We start with Bellinger, a guy that can play three, four, five, six different positions for us, play all over the field."

Apart from being the captain of the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge would be leading the USA to reclaim their WBC title in 2026 and recently opened up about his excitement for the same. The Yankees recently announced a major update in their facial hair policy, leading to Judge's massive trolling by fans. The Yankees had an impressive last season, do you think the team will succeed in maintaining their momentum throughout the 2025 season?

Stay updated with the latest sports news and find out how to watch the ICC Champions Trophy live in Canada and the USA. Don’t miss the highly anticipated India vs New Zealand clash. Check the live cricket scores and Champions Trophy Schedule here.

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TOI Sports Desk

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