Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees' Aaron Judge Enters Legendary Status with New Record

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge continues to build quite the legacy for himself.

Jack Markowski

May 16, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a single against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
May 16, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a single against the New York Mets during the eighth inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images / John Jones-Imagn Images
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The accolades keep rolling in for New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge amidst his historic start to the 2025 campaign.

On May 16, Judge became the fastest player in MLB to reach base for the 100th time in a season since Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants in 2002. Furthermore, Hall of Famers Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth are the only other Yankees to achieve that feat through 44 games, as noted by ESPN's Buster Olney on Twitter.

"Judge reached base for the 100th time this season on Friday night," Olney wrote. "He did so in the team’s 44th game of the season. That’s the fewest team games for a player to reach base 100 times in a season since 2002, when Barry Bonds also made it to 100 times on base in the Giants’ 44th game. The only other Yankees to reach base 100 times within the team’s first 44 games of a season were Mickey Mantle in 1956 (he won the triple crown that year), along with Babe Ruth in 1930 and 1923."

If your name is being mentioned amongst the likes of Mantle, Ruth and Bonds, who are three of the best hitters in baseball history, that's a telltale sign you're on the right path.

Through 205 plate appearances, Judge is pacing the league in just about every stat imaginable. His .402 batting average, .488 on-base percentage and .753 slugging percentage all fit that criteria, as does his 3.7 bWAR, while his 15 home runs and 41 RBIs are the top marks in the AL.

Judge continues to do the unthinkable, which becomes all the more impressive once you realize he's performed at such a high level for perhaps the most iconic and recognizable franchise in sports.

His career OPS of 1.0209 is the third-best among all qualified right-handed batters in MLB history, per Baseball Reference. While longevity may not be on Judge's side when debating who the greatest player of all-time is, his peak could go toe-to-toe with just about anyone else's.

Even though we're still in May, he is the overwhelming favorite to take home his third MVP Award over the last four seasons.

While Judge has fallen short at times in the playoffs, players like him simply don't come around very often.

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Jack Markowski
JACK MARKOWSKI

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