Aaron Judge was the darling of MLB free agency last offseason. Now the New York Yankees slugger has a message for this year's most coveted eligible ballplayer, Shohei Ohtani.

After Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels took game one of a three-game set in the Bronx on Monday, Judge was asked if his recruitment of the two-way phenom had commenced.

“No, not yet. They’ve got something special in [Anaheim], and I’m just gonna admire him from afar right now,” Judge said.

The Angels have not made a playoff appearance since Ohtani's debut in 2018. They are 9-8 to start this season, eclipsing the .500 mark with the win last night.

Despite Judge's comments, the Yankees are expected to be players in the Ohtani sweepstakes come November. Ohtani said he enjoys playing in New York, and the Yankees were one of the teams heavily recruiting him when he was available in 2018.

Both Judge and Ohtani were neck and neck in the AL MVP race for much of last season. If it weren't for a record-breaking 62 home runs from Judge, we may have been looking at back-to-back MVPs to Ohtani.

Much of the league and baseball fans alike are intrigued by the prospect of such a superstar being able to test free agency.

“He's one of the top hitters in the game and one of the top pitchers in the game,” Judge said of Ohtani. “Combine that with [being] a great all-around athlete, it's gonna be exciting to watch, and I'm excited to see where he goes.”

Where Shohei Ohtani plays his baseball in 2024 and beyond remains to be seen. Seeing him go to the Yankees and hit behind Aaron Judge would send seismic wavelengths throughout the baseball universe.