Yankees' Aaron Judge Continues to Make History
As the 2023 Major League Baseball season winds down, one name continues to dominate headlines: Aaron Judge. Commanding the field as the captain of the New York Yankees, Judge is not just meeting the high expectations set for him; he's surpassing them at an astonishing rate. With an impressive batting line of .333/.465/.736 as of August 26, Judge leads the league in multiple critical categories, including home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and WAR.
Manager Aaron Boone perhaps encapsulated it best when he said, “I'm kinda running out of words to say. You're witnessing greatness. You really are. He's just kinda better than everyone.” Judge's stats back up Boone’s high praise. He has 51 home runs and 122 RBIs with 31 games remaining in the season. His phenomenal performance has earned him a concrete spot in the annals of baseball history, setting projections that are simply awe-inspiring.
Judge is on pace to achieve 101 extra-base hits and 418 total bases this season, feats that are extraordinarily rare. Only 15 players have ever recorded 100 extra-base hits in a season, while achieving both 100 extra-base hits and 400 total bases in a single season has been accomplished merely 13 times. These numbers don't just place Judge in elite company; they highlight his potential for an iconic season.
When Judge steps up to bat, fans now hold their breath. He has homered seven times in his last six games and 19 times in his last 36 games. If he maintains his current pace, Judge projects to finish the season with 63 home runs. His consistent power at the plate is paralleled only by his historic achievements in 2017 and 2022, where he hit 52 and 62 home runs, respectively.
However, Judge isn't solely focused on hitting the long ball. “I got to this point trying to be a good hitter and a good teammate, so that’s what I’m going to try to do. I feel like if I can do that, we can look up at the end of the year, and I think the numbers will be where they’re supposed to be,” Judge remarked. This humility and focus on fundamentals underpin his ascendancy in MLB. When examining his performance, it's clear that Judge brings more than power to the table. His non-home-run statistics include a .250 batting average and a stellar .413 on-base percentage.
Judge's trajectory wasn’t always smooth this season. Up until April 23, his batting line was a modest .174/.308/.337. However, since then, he has dramatically improved, boasting an OPS of 1.328 through the following 106 games.
On the topic of striking out, Judge has also shown significant improvement. His current strikeout rate is 23.4%, which stands just slightly above the MLB average of 22.4%. This marks an improvement from his strikeout rates of 30.7% in 2017 and 25.1% in 2022, indicating increased discipline at the plate.
Judge's season is on par with some of the greatest in baseball history. For comparison, Rogers Hornsby's 1924 season had a 222 OPS+, and only two right-handed hitters, Jimmie Foxx and Rogers Hornsby, have had two seasons with an OPS+ over 200. Last year, Judge posted a 210 OPS+, and his performance this season is on track to put him in legendary territory once again.
In an era where specialized and situational pitchers often hold the advantage, Judge faced additional challenges. Despite only having the platoon advantage in 26% of his plate appearances, his stats have remained sky high.
As the final month of the regular season approaches, all eyes will be on Judge. Can he maintain this blistering pace? Will he break more records or add yet another accolade to his name? One thing is certain: Aaron Judge has solidified his status as one of the most formidable hitters of his generation, leaving fans and analysts alike in anticipation of what he will achieve next.