WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Aaron Judge acted like a team captain well before owner Hal Steinbrenner officially gave him the title after the outfielder signed his nine-year, $364 million free-agent contract in December 2022.

Athletics left-hander JP Sears recalled a generous gesture from New York Yankees star Aaron Judge during his MLB debut with the team in 2022.

Aaron Judge had four hits to get his average back above .400 and Ben Rice hit a grand slam to lead the New York Yankees to a 12-2 victory over the Athletics on Sunday. Judge hit a two-run single in a five-run second inning against former teammate Luis Severino (1-4) and added hits in his final three at-bats to raise his average on the season to .