Yankees Aaron Judge Could Reach Historic Milestone This Season

Aaron Judge can join a club that few New York Yankees have reached exclusively with the team.

Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Every time Aaron Judge takes the field for the New York Yankees, something historic can happen. There are few ballplayers with such a proclivity for power as he has.

It is because of this that Judge has earned three American League Most Valuable Player Awards in his last four years. He was just one injury shy of winning the award every year since then.

Judge is en route for a different milestone this year. That is the 400 home run club. According to MLB.com's Manny Randhawa, he is one of several players who can hit that mark this season. All of which are some of the game's best sluggers.

Aaron Judge is all smiles as he rounds the bases on Anthony Rizzo's two-run homer during the Yankees' Opening Day victory over the Boston Red Sox. Syndication Westchester County Journal News | Frank Becerra Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK

The 400 Home Run Clubs Might Have Some New Members

"Several players are within striking distance of some major milestones in 2026," Manny Randhawa writes. "Three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge, as well as superstars Harper, Freddie Freeman, and Manny Machado, are all nearing the prestigious 400-home run club.

"Judge, the most fearsome slugger in the game today, is just 32 homers shy of the mark," Randhawa continues. "He's hit 53 or more homers in three of the past four seasons, including an AL-record 62 in 2022. If he's healthy for most of the 2026 campaign, he seems to be a lock to reach the 400-homer milestone this year."

400 in Yankee Lore

Judge would only be the fourth member of the Yankees to hit the 400 home run landmark. The others are Babe Ruth, who finished his career with 659 home runs. Next is Mickey Mantle, who slugged 536 homers. Then Lou Gehrig hit 493. The captain is right behind these legends with 368.

The Mickey Mantle statue is pictured in front of the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, March 22, 2022. Mantle 6 | Nathan J Fish/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Judge's power stroke hit a different level after that initial MVP year. From 2022 until 2025, Judge hit 210 homers in 2,537 plate appearances. To put that into context, from 2016 to 2021, he hit 158 home runs in 2,465 plate appearances. Injuries hampered a good portion of those seasons, unfortunately. It would be interesting to see where Judge would be today were it not for an errant pitch in 2018 or that oblique injury the following season. He could be well past 400 by now.

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