In this era of baseball, players are expected to do it all. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is the absolute master of that. As the season comes to a close, he is on the cusp of possibly winning the American League MVP.
Beyond that, he continues to cement his place among the greatest players ever. His current numbers put him in a position to join the likes of Jimmie Foxx and Mickey Mantle, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. At this point, Judge is batting .328, 13 points ahead of Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson.
If he wins the batting title, Judge will become the third player in MLB history, alongside Foxx and Mantle, to hit 50+ home runs in a season and win the batting title. In 1938, Foxx batted .349 with 50 home runs and 175 RBIs with the Boston Red Sox and was the AL MVP.
Mantle followed suit in 1956. That year, he batted .353 with 52 home runs and 130 runs batted in. Altogether, Mantle won the Triple Crown as well as the AL MVP.
Additionally, Judge has 51 home runs and 109 RBIs. Recently, the Yankees clinched a playoff spot as the battle for the AL East title heats up with the Toronto Blue Jays.
Aaron Judge is a slugger in the true sense of the word
Oftentimes, the term “slugger” in baseball vernacular conjures up one image. A guy who can swing for the fences. That is what the names Ruth, Foxx, Mantle, Aaron, McGwire, Sosa, Bonds, etc. are synonymous with.
Certainly, Judge falls into that category. However, he is not limited only to his ability to hit home runs. He can hit for average, has a high on base percentage, can run the bases, and generates doubles.
Currently, Judge has a .455 on-base percentage this year, exceeding his career average of 412. Also, he has 12 stolen bases this season and 65 total in his career.
Furthermore, Judge has 29 doubles to his name in 2025, the second most in his career behind his 2024 total of 36. Altogether, Judge has 202 career doubles.
