Yankees' Aaron Judge: Astros' 2017 WS Title Wasn't Earned, Punishment Was Weak

New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge said Tuesday he was "pretty mad and pretty upset" when he learned about the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal. 

"I wasn't a fan of the punishment. I thought it was a little weak for a player-driven scheme," Judge told reporters.

The 27-year-old California native finished second to the Astros' Jose Altuve in 2017 American League MVP voting and the Yanks were eliminated by Houston in the 2017 MLB playoffs. That season was the main focus of the league's investigation into the club.

"I don't think it holds any value," Judge said when asked about the 'Stros 2017 championship.

The two-time All-Star was also asked about a social-media post directed toward Altuve and the MVP:

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger, one of several high-profile players to speak out against the Astros' actions since the start of Spring Training last week, came to Judge's defense.

"Those guys were cheating for three years," Bellinger told reporters Friday. "I think what people don't realize is Altuve stole an MVP from Judge in 2017. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us. But it's over."

In January, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred announced the Astros were fined $5 million, the maximum amount allowed in the league's constitution, and had their first- and second-round picks in the 2020 and 2021 drafts taken away because of the scheme.

General manager Jeff Luhnow and manager AJ Hinch received one-year suspensions, and they were fired by the organization after the punishments were made public.

Carlos Beltran, who retired following the 2017 season, was the only player named in MLB's report and no players received punishments for their involvement in the scheme.

Beltran was slated to become the New York Mets manager in 2020, but he mutually agreed to part ways with the club because of the sign-stealing scandal.

Alex Cora, the Astros' bench coach in 2017 and the Boston Red Sox manager for the past two years, also parted ways with the team. The Red Sox remain under investigation for the alleged misuse of their video-replay room during their 2018 championship season.

Along with the Houston organization and its players, Manfred has also come under fire for his handling of the scandal's aftermath, which included calling the championship trophy a "piece of metal."