When you think of the fiercest rivalries in sports, you inevitably think of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. There have been several occasions throughout the years where these two organizations clashed, resulting in some heated moments both on and off the field.

But no matter how intense your passion for your team is, there are some things that are bigger than baseball. Yankees captain Aaron Judge put this philosophy into practice on Tuesday, when he went out of his way to go to bat for one of Boston’s biggest names.

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Aaron Judge comes to Jarren Duran’s defense after heckling incident

Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran made headlines earlier this year when he revealed on Netflix’s The Clubhouse documentary that he attempted to take his own life back in 2022. It was a big risk, to be so vulnerable on a public stage, but Duran felt it was important to be a role model for others.

That vulnerability was preyed upon over the weekend, when a fan in Cleveland heckled Duran by making reference to his past suicide attempt. Duran exchanged words with (and understandably had to be restrained from) the fan, who was ultimately ejected from the game. There shouldn’t be any place in the big leagues for that sort of cruelty, and even Boston’s arch nemesis agrees.

In an interview with Randy Miller of NJ.com, Judge had the following to say about Duran and this whole situation:

“Getting to know him a little bit, he’s a great kid. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. What a tremendous athlete. We all go through our struggles in life, our ups and downs. For Jarren to prevail and still be doing what he loves to do, I definitely feel for what he’s gone through and what he had to go through on Sunday. You can boo and you can say whatever you want about performance, but what happened in Cleveland is taking it too far.” 

Judge’s outpouring support of Duran is refreshing to see. They may be rivals on the field, but Judge showing empathy towards Duran speaks volumes to the type of person he is and how he understands priorities.