Yankees' Aaron Judge On Pace for Rare MLB History

While Aaron Judge's injury has put a damper on his full potential with the New York Yankees this season, he is still the best in the league by a comfortable margin when it comes to most batting numbers. Now, he's poised to accomplish something that hasn't been done since 2013.

Judge's 1.107 OPS puts him head and shoulders above the rest of the MLB, with Shohei Ohtani in second place at .990. With his current 42 home runs this season, Judge is poised to become the first in the league to earn a batting title and 40+ home runs since Miguel Cabrera for the Detroit Tigers.

Aug 30, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

This kind of rarified air is nothing new for Judge, who is favored to win AL MVP this season for the third time in his record-breaking career. He still leads the MLB in batting average (.321), on-base percentage (.441) and slugging (.666), but has been behind Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in home runs for some time (Raleigh leads the league with 50, and has surpassed the all-time home run record for catchers).

Judge still has no projection for a return to the outfield, and his performance has taken a bit of a tumble since his elbow was injured back in July. His season numbers are strong, but over his last 30 games has just a .204/.376/.437 slash line. Manager Aaron Boone spoke on Judge's performance this season, nodding to his work ethic more than anything.

“He’s just an unbelievable player and a guy that I really haven’t felt has been hot at any point in the season, like he has in some years,” Boone said, h/t Randy Miller of Yahoo Sports. “That’s what’s remarkable. The year he’s putting up, I feel like he’s grinding through it.”

Boone also spoke on the rare feat of a .300 batting average in 2025, as only three other players in the league currently have a .300+ BA.

“I think it’s harder to hit now,” Boone said. “With bullpens the way they are, you’re not facing guys typically three and four times through an order. I just look at it through my eyes here now to what I used to face. It’s quite a bit different in my opinion.”

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