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Aaron Judge had the whole baseball world at his fingertips during his record-breaking 2022 season. But somehow, someway, following a bit of a down 2023 season (due to injury), Judge has one-upped himself in 2024. One half of the dynamic duo (along with Juan Soto) that's carrying the New York Yankees, Judge is in the middle of a career year — slashing .333/.465/.736 (all career-bests) to go along with 51 home runs and 122 runs batted in.
But baseball is a team sport, and Judge knows it. As fulfilling as it is for him to be the best he can be at the plate and on the field on any given night, Judge knows that the ultimate goal is to help the Yankees win — be it a single ballgame, the AL East division crown, the AL pennant, or the World Series. And he is locked in towards doing whatever he can to lead the team to glory even though he became just the fifth player in MLB history to hit 50 or more home runs in a single season in three different seasons, joining elite company in Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth in the process.
“A great accomplishment but there's still more to be done. This team's got a big mission in front of them and we're all focused on that right now,” Judge said, via ESPN.
Aaron Judge's “job's not finished” mentality is laudable. He's not being distracted by the glitz and glamor of being involved in yet another chase for the AL home run record, which he set two years ago when he hit 62 long balls. At present, the Yankees star is on pace to surpass his record by one homer, and knowing the torrid pace he's currently on, it will not be a surprise to see him make history once more.
Nonetheless, with the Yankees still locked into a tight division race with the Baltimore Orioles, Judge will want to remain at his best for the rest of the season. They now have a 1.5-game lead over the Orioles, and they could further increase that cushion by taking advantage of their upcoming three-game set against the Washington Nationals, a team that currently has a 59-72 record.
Aaron Judge overcomes a slow April, leads Yankees to division lead
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Aaron Judge did not have an ideal 2023 season. It was always going to be hard for him to follow up on his historic 2022 campaign, but injuries did not help matters at all for him. He missed a few weeks to begin May 2023 due to a hip injury, and then in early June of that same year, he suffered a toe injury that kept him out for nearly two months. Without Judge in the lineup, the Yankees went 25-31. Otherwise, they went 57-49. They ended up missing the postseason.
And then to begin 2024, Judge did not look like his best self. He slashed .220/.361/.450 — above-average numbers, but not Judge-esque. However, since the calendar flipped to May 2024, the Yankees star has re-assumed his place as the most feared hitter in the MLB. Since May 1, he is slashing an eye-popping .376/.506/.845. Those are prime Barry Bonds numbers — and Bonds wasn't exactly clean when he reached those marks.
What Judge is doing at the plate is not normal. Yankees fans cherish Judge and his contributions on a nightly basis, and it's high time for the rest to follow.
