What Every Entrepreneur Can Learn From Home Run King Aaron JudgeHow the New York Yankees star worked through early struggles and doubts.

ByMatthew McCreary

Kelly Gavin | MLB Photos | Getty Images

纽约洋基队外野手亚伦法官的样子he was born to play baseball. A 6'7", 280-pound behemoth who hits home runs seemingly without trying, Judge was a three-sport star in high school (he also played football and basketball), an all-conference performer in college and a top pick in the MLB Draft.

In his first major league at bat, Judge hit a home run.

Then, in his second game, Judge hit another home run, and it looked as if he was on the way to becoming the next Yankees star. After that, though, Judge hit just two home runs the rest of the season (in 25 games) while striking out 41 times. His batting average of .179 was one of the worst in the entire MLB.

Despite all of his potential, some people started to doubt Judge then. One baseball scout said that Judge could turn outlike Dave Kingman, a good-but-not-great New York player (for the Mets, not the Yankees). Local news wondered whether Judge's strikeoutswould be a long-term concern.

Some players might have let those doubts affect them, but Judge used the negativity as inspiration. He made a note on his phone with his batting average -- .179 -- and looked at it every day to remind himself that he needed to improve.

Related:Dwyane Wade on Why He Doesn't Have Time for Rest

One year later, Judge is leading all of baseball in home runs, tallied more All-Star votes than any other player and looks like the frontrunner to become MVP in the American League. He's appeared on Jimmy Fallon and even has his owncheering section at Yankee Stadium.

Oh, and on Monday night, he also won the Home Run Derby in epic fashion, bashing balls over 500 feet, hitting the roof of Marlins Stadium multiple times andknocking out 47 home runs.

So, don't be afraid to fail. Everyone fails -- even Judge, who has struck out more than 100 times this season. The key is to use that failure as inspiration to work hard and improve every day.

And that's why we can all learn something from Aaron Judge, even if we might never hit home runs for the Yankees.

Wavy Line
Matthew McCreary

Entrepreneur Staff

Associate Editor, Contributed Content

Matthew McCreary is the associate editor for contributed content at Entrepreneur.com.

Editor's Pick

We're Now Finding Out TheDamaging Results of The Mandated Return to Office— And It's Worse Than We Thought.
He 'Grew Up in Bars' and Was Drinking By Age 10 — But Entrepreneurs Changed His Life. Now a Business Owner Himself,He's Paying It Forward.
LinkedIn Changed Its Algorithms — Here's How YourPosts Will Get More Attention Now
'Focus Is Just as Important as Passion': How to Avoid雷竞技手机版企业家精神缺失症in Franchising
Lock
Kevin O'Leary Recommends This6-Step Strategyfor Making Money on Social Media
Lock
ThisMindset Shift Changed My Life— And Gave Me the Courage to Leave My Well-Paid Full-Time Job.

Related Topics

Starting a Business

Using a Severance Package to Launch Your Own Business? Here's What You Need to Know.

With layoffs at a record high, many are taking their severance packages and investing them into starting a business for themselves.

Growing a Business

5 Intangible Qualities That Hold the Key to Unparalleled Business Success

There are a lot of practical and tangible aspects of business success. But some of the most critical components are often intangible.

Business News

TikTok影响者Reveals She Makes $350,000 a Month on OnlyFans. 'Absolutely Unreal.'

When Tara Lynn promoted her OnlyFans page on TikTok, she saw her income more than double.

Marketing

Brand Loyalty Isn't Enough to Keep Customers — But Reviews and Rewards Are. Here's How.

Reviews and rewards are the biggest factors swaying consumers in the new digital landscape. Brands need to get with the program.

Business News

This Woman Was Drowning in Debt Before She Tried 'Cash Stuffing.' Now She's Made The Highly Effective Practice a Full-Time Business.

A Texas woman was $80,000 in debt before she tried a method of budgeting called "cash stuffing." Now, she's not only paid off her debt but turned the budgeting practice into a full-time business to help others save.

Leadership

How Leaders Can Avoid Over-Communicating in the Workplace (and Why They Should)

Here's why leaders should be careful not to over-communicate — and a few things they should keep in mind to ensure they're communicating effectively.