Aaron Judge is on the precipice of making MLB history. The New York Yankees superstar has an opportunity to pass Roger Maris' Yankees all-time single season home run mark. Additionally, Judge has a legitimate shot at the Triple Crown. As a result of Judge's incredible 2022 campaign, we decided to take a look at the 5 greatest individual seasons in Yankees' history.
Aaron Judge's 2022 will not be included on this list since his season is not over. But if he ends up passing Maris and winning the Triple Crown, you can bet on him being added in a few weeks.
5 Greatest Individual Seasons in Yankees History amid Aaron Judge's Special 2022 Season
5. 1941, Joe DiMaggio
Joe DiMaggio won one of his 3 MVPs in 1941. And his numbers were eye-popping to say the least. He slashed .357/.440/.643 with a 1.083 OPS. He added 30 home runs and a league leading 125 RBIs. However, it was DiMaggio's MLB all-time best 56-game hit streak that stole headlines.
Joe DiMaggio tallied at least 1 hit in 56 consecutive games. In today's game, simply posting a 5-game hit streak is fairly impressive. No player has gotten all that close to passing DiMaggio's Yankees hit streak either. It is something that may stand the test of time.
It should be noted that he had a number of seasons worthy of consideration. But 1941 stands out.
4. 1956, Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle's 1955, 1956, 1958, 1960, 1961, and 1962 Yankees seasons all drew consideration here. In all reality, one probably could include each of those seasons on the list. But Mantle's 1956 MVP campaign was one for the ages.
He slashed .353/.464/.705 with a 1.169 OPS. His batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS all led the league. Mantle also led MLB in home runs and RBIs with 52 bombs and 130 RBIs. He added 10 stolen bases for good measure. Mantle led the league in runs scored and total bases in 1956. It was a well-balanced season that led to him winning 1 of his 3 career MVP Awards.
3. 1961, Roger Maris
Unlike DiMaggio and Mantle, Maris has one season that was clearly his best. In 1961, Roger Maris set the Yankees all-time single season home run record with 61 (a record Aaron Judge may or may not have broken by the team you read this story).
Maris added a league leading 142 RBIs and 132 runs scored. He slugged .620 on the season while posting a .993 OPS. Maris never hit more than 39 home runs again in a single season. But he found his stroke in 1961 en route to a career year.
2. 1934, Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig's 1927 and 1936 seasons were elite. But the Yankees' star who often got left in Babe Ruth's shadow enjoyed a truly special 1934 season. Gehrig won the Triple Crown, leading the league in batting average with a mark of .363, smashing 49 home runs, and tallying 166 RBIs. He slugged .706 and had an OPS of 1.172 in 1934. Gehrig also found himself on base at a consistent rate, posting a .465 OBP.
Many Yankees fans may debate this selection since Gehrig finished fifth in MVP voting in 1934. Meanwhile, he won the award in both 1936 and 1927. But his overall impact was crucial for the 1934 Yankees.
1. 1921, Babe Ruth
Choosing 1921 over 1927 seemed improbable coming into this story. But the numbers simply do not lie. Babe Ruth's 1921 Yankees performance was better than 1927.
In 1921, Ruth slashed .378/.512/.846 with a 1.359 OPS to go along with 59 home runs and 168 RBIs.
In 1927, Ruth slashed .356/.486/.772 with a 1.258 OPS to go along with 60 home runs and 165 RBIs.
Both seasons were historic, but 1921 technically was the better year for the “Great Bambino.” Nevertheless, you can easily make an argument for almost every year from 1920-1930. Ruth consistently hit more than 40 home runs during that span and was a force of nature.
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