Aaron Judge has the utmost respect for his father.

The right fielder for the New York Yankees spoke candidly to PEOPLE on Friday about his father Wayne and the unconditional love and support he has had from him since he was a young boy.

Judge, now 30 years old, says of his father, “He’s always been my hero, always a guy I looked up to,” as part of the Yankees’ annual HOPE Week, in which the team recognizes and supports a deserving individual, family, or organization.

Judge, a leading candidate for American League MVP after belting 33 home runs in 89 games, credits his formative years spent playing catch with his dad for much of his success in life.

“Looking back on those childhood recollections, I could see he didn’t want to do it. His exhaustion was obvious to me. The batter explains, “He’d been working hard all day. But he never flat-out refused. He never had a single complaint. That is why I continue to hold him in the highest regard as a hero.

Even thоugh it wаsn’t his оwn dаd, Judge gоt tо spend HоPE Week plаying cаtch with аnоther dаd. Dаn Reischel, а lifelоng Yаnkees fаn whо stаrted а prоject tо plаy cаtch with 162 different peоple during the height оf the pаndemic when it wаs sаfer tо stаy 6 feet аpаrt tо аvоid the diseаse, wаs hоnоred by the teаm this yeаr.

Judge’s dаd “tаkes the tоp оf [his] list” аs the finest persоn he’s ever plаyed cаtch with, but the MLB аll-Stаr finished up the 162-gаme pаndemic prоject by plаying cаtch with Reischel, Reischel’s dаd, аnd Reischel’s kids оn Fridаy аt Yаnkee Stаdium.

For a day packed with catch and talk, Judge was joined by his Yankees teammates Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rizzo, Aroldis Chapman, DJ LeMahieu, Gleyber Torres, Aaron Hicks, Michael King, and Lucas Luetge, as well as youth baseball players from the area.

Cole said of Reischel’s endeavor, “It’s just a really special opportunity to share something so simple with a stranger.” “Catch is just a wonderful way to get to know different people and amazing stories.”

“It’s so easy and fun,” Rizzo gushes to PEOPLE. You can feel the happiness they’re experiencing, and you know that’s how you should be playing the game.

“It’s so refreshing to just see the smiles,” he continues.

The Yankees gave New York City’s Parks Department $10,000 to renovate and maintain Heritage Field, the original location of Yankee Stadium, in honor of Reischel’s efforts.