A familiar legendary voice from the Oakland Athletics has just named a pitcher whom he wouldn’t flinch to send up against two of baseball’s most feared hitters – Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. When a player steps onto the pitching mound against these two, even the most seasoned managers break a sweat. However, it’s a former World Series MVP and a Hall of Famer who has publicly put his faith in this pitcher.
Well, it wouldn’t have been easy to guess. It’s the Athletics’ 29-year-old pitcher JP Sears. And the one who has unwavering trust on his arm is Dave Stewart – special assistant to the Athletics player development. The Oakland Athletics hired the former World Series MVP in January 2025 to assist the director of player development, Ed Sprague.
In a recent interview between Chris Townsend, Shooty Babitt, and David Stewart, the conversation circled to how fearsome it is to send a pitcher against the phenoms of our league — Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. To that, Stewart was asked if he had to make the decision with pitchers, how would he handle such a situation with the Athletics club? Stewart swiftly pointed out the 29-year-old JP Sears.
Oakland Athletics pitcher JP Sears (38) pitches against the Miami Marlins during the first inning of their MLB game at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., on Friday, May 3, 2024. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
He said, “With this club, if there’s one guy that, in my opinion, has earned the right and has earned the respect to have the opportunity when he’s on the pitching mound, that’s JP Sears.” After all, Sears has had back-to-back seasons and he’s not missed the start.
Sears was acquired from the New York Yankees in 2022 and has owned up to his performance on the mound. Across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he has clocked in 353 innings. Coming to 2025, Sears has recorded a 2.80 ERA and a sharp 1.00 WHIP across his first eight starts of this season. Well, it’s just the beginning; he only knows how to refine his game.
Stewart added, saying, “He’s been the guy that’s been the number one guy in my opinion for this organization over the last three years.” In fact, this 2025 season has been one of his best years in terms of his performance. Just over his last 5 outings, he holds a remarkable 1.93 ERA with a 0.89 WHIP.
So, whether it’s Judge or Ohtani in the batter’s box, Stewart has no doubt that Sears will tackle them well.
Aaron Judge’s sweet gesture towards JP Sears
We all have been no strangers to Aaron Judge’s calm demeanor. And this time, he has once again won hearts with his gesture for JP Sears and his family.
Just when Sears took the mound for the Athletics this Saturday against the Yankees, his professional responsibility was to keep Aaron Judge off the bases. However, behind the on-field rivalry, Sears has had a beautiful bond with Judge ever since his rookie era.
You see, in 2022, when Sears found out that he had made it to the Yankees’ opening day roster, he was on top of the world. Moreover, what caught him off guard was a text from Aaron Judge. It wasn’t a “congratulations” text, it was something so thoughtful that it’ll bring a smile to your face.
Judge made dinner reservations for Sears and his family, who flew all the way from South Carolina to witness Sears’ MLB debut. Judge subtly left a text to Sears that read, “Hey, if you’re not busy, I got a reservation for you and your family at Don Angie’s if you want to go.” Woah, that’s a huge gesture.
Moreover, Son Angie’s is one of the places in New York where it isn’t a cakewalk to get a reservation. The fact that Judge went all in to do this for Sears says a lot about him.
Sears recalled this instance, saying, “He just set up everything for me.” In fact, Judge himself made a special appearance when Sears and his family were just finishing up their dinner. Judge simply came in, subtly, and introduced him to Sears’ family and took care of the check.
It shows a side of Judge who never let go of any achievements of his teammates.
The post A’s Legend Reveals One Pitcher He Wouldn’t Fear Sending After Shohei Ohtani & Aaron Judge With Game at Stake appeared first on EssentiallySports.
