New York Yankees Superstar's Historic Start Puts Him Among Baseball Legends

New York Yankees star slugger Aaron Judge has another historic start with numbers rarely reached.

May 3, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run in the first inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees' offense has not skipped a beat during the 2025 MLB regular season despite some massive changes to their lineup.

Their biggest loss was right fielder Juan Soto, who left in free agency to sign a historic deal with the New York Mets, a 15-year, $765 million contract. Second baseman Gleyber Torres, left fielder Alex Verdugo and first baseman Anthony Rizzo were all moved on from as well.

Evidently, the losses don't matter when you have Aaron Judge anchoring your lineup.

Despite not having the luxury of an MVP hitting in front of him in the batting order any longer, his production has been taken to another level.

What he has accomplished through the first 33 games of the season is something normally only seen in a video game. The 2024 American League MVP is playing this season on easy mode thus far.

His .432/.520/.792 slash line are all leading the MLB entering Sunday's action. So was his 1.312 OPS, 272 OPS+, .551 rOBA, 280 Rbat+, 99 total bases and four intentional walks. He led MLB with a 3.2 WAR, 54 hits and 33 RBI as well. His 31 runs scored are the most in the AL.

That start has been historic, making Judge the first player in the designated hitter era to lead the Triple Crown categories at the start of May.

He also became the first AL player to record 50+ hits, reach base 70+ times and record 85+ total bases before May. Prior to the 2025 season, not a single player had accomplished any of those feats. He did all three.

Essentially every time that he takes the field, it seems that he is creating some new history or approaching levels only all-time greats have achieved.

On Saturday, he hit his sixth first inning home run of the season and 11th of the year. That put him in rarified air, hitting double-digit home runs with a batting average of at least .430 through the first 33 games of the season.

As shared by Sarah Langs of MLB.com, only two other players have achieved that feat in MLB history: Henry Aaron in 1959 and Jimmie Foxx in 1932.

10+ homers and .430+ batting average in team’s first 33 games of a season:

2025 Aaron Judge
1959 Henry Aaron
1932 Jimmie Foxx https://t.co/JeUSGi5SHC

— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) May 3, 2025

He has been an on-base machine, producing at the same rate only one of the all-time greatest hitters has.

There has been only one other player to reach base at least 77 times through the first 33 games of a season over the last 30 MLB season, according to Codify: Barry Bonds in 2002 and 2004.

Hitters reaching base 77+ times in the first 33 games of any of the last 30 MLB seasons:

Barry Bonds (2002)
Barry Bonds (2004)
Aaron Judge (2025)

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) May 3, 2025

Another truly ridiculous feat that Judge has accomplished, via Katie Sharp of Stathead and Sports Reference, is that he has recorded more games with 3+ hits this year than he has gone hitless in.

He has at least three hits six times in 33 games and has gone hitless in only four. In three out of four of those games, Judge still reached base by being walked at least once.

important information ...

We are 33 games into the season, and Aaron Judge currently has more 3+ hit games (6) than hitless games (4)

— Katie Sharp (@SharpStats17) May 4, 2025

Finding a way to beat the two-time AL MVP is proving to be incredibly difficult for opposing pitchers with him more than willing to take a walk and punishing mistake pitches.