TAMPA, Fla. — As New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge stood before his locker in the visitors clubhouse at Kauffman Stadium on the final day of the 2023 season, he made it clear that there was no one he would rather have as his manager than Aaron Boone.

Yankees captain Aaron Judge suggested Boone's optimism makes him the right skipper to help the club bounce back from its World Series loss and All-Star outfielder Juan Soto's departure.

The Yankees signed Boone to a two-year contract extension through the 2027 season, the team announced Thursday. While the organization has typically avoided extensions until a player or manager’s contract runs out — as Boone’s was set to after this season — Hal Steinbrenner made an exception for the manager he has repeatedly supported publicly.