The New York Yankees are back in first place in the American League East, and it seems that their two best players are back in top form. Aaron Judge continues to bash home runs at a remarkable rate, while ace pitcher Gerrit Cole seems to be at the top of his game as well.

Judge belted his 48th home run of the season in a 6-0 victory over the Cleveland Guardians Thursday afternoon, while Cole allowed just one hit while pitching 6.0 innings against the visitors. Cole did not have his usual strikeout pitch going as he fanned just two Cleveland batters. He was also somewhat wild as he issued five bases on balls, but he refused to give in to any of the Cleveland hitters.

However, after the game Cole was interested in making sure Judge got the credit he deserved. Cole believes that Judge has separated himself from the other top players who are currently competing.

“There's no one that can compare to him,” Cole said to Yankees beat writer Gary Phillips. “Certainly not walking around right now. I mean, outside of [Barry] Bonds.”

Many of the top players defer to Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the best players in the Major Leagues, while others might look at Ohtani's teammate Mookie Betts or Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves, but Cole clearly believes in his teammate.

Judge has been scintillating after a slow start this year

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning at Yankee Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
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Judge has homered in his last three games, and while it seems that no ball park is too big for him, the dimensions of Yankee Stadium are perfect for him. Judge will take any outside pitch to the opposite field and the short porch in right field is easy for him to reach.

Judge is slashing .380/.507/.829  since April 27 with 43 home runs and 104 runs batted in. He also had 83 walks and 90 runs scored over that 98-game run.

For the season, Judge is slashing .334/.465/.722 with 118 RBI in addition to his 48 homers. He is also leading the major league with an OPS of 1.187 and he has 322 total bases.

By comparison, Ohtani is slashing .291/.378/.610 with 39 home runs and 88 RBI. He has scored 96 runs and walked 69 times while serving as the Dodgers' designated hitter. Ohtani has not pitched at all this season but seems likely to return to his mound duties in 2025.

Ozuna is also having a brilliant season as he is slashing .309/.381/.594 with 37 homers and 94 RBI.

While Judge has been strong, he regularly deflects praise away from himself and tries to spread it to the team. After a midseason slump that saw them lose a large lead in the division, the Yankees have won 15 of their last 23 games and have regained the top spot in the American League East.