Judge Aaron Makes History

Judge Aaron has etched his name into baseball history once again.

This past Sunday, he wrapped up his first batting title, astonishingly with 53 home runs, which kept him from another MVP season.

“I’m just doing my job,” he commented modestly. “It’s special, but there’s still more to accomplish.”

With that achievement, he joins an elite group, becoming only the third player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs while winning a batting title in the same season, alongside Mickey Mantle and Jimmy Fox. Notably, his 53 homers are the highest ever for a batting title winner.

After the game, Aaron Boone presented the game ball to Judge, referencing legends like Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew, and Wade Boggs, emphasizing that Judge is now in their company.

“These are legends that will be remembered forever,” Judge reflected. “Being recognized with that group is something I truly appreciate.”

Judge solidified his title by achieving a batting average of .374 in his last 30 games after returning from a flexor strain that kept him out for 10 games.

“It’s really impressive to see how he finished,” Boone noted. “After being out, he quickly stepped up and helped lead us through this month. I was thrilled to see his return.”

Judge is now the first Yankee to claim a batting title since DJ LeMahieu did it in 2020, marking the first such title for the team since Bernie Williams back in 1998.

We’ll find out if Judge has done enough to overtake Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the AL MVP when the results are announced in November.

But first up is October—a crucial month, especially since the playoffs have often eluded Judge despite a stellar regular season.

For the season, he finished with a remarkable OPS of 1.145—131 points higher than the next best batter, Shohei Ohtani. He also became the fifth player in the expansion era to lead the majors in batting average, on-base percentage (.457), and slugging percentage (.688).

Judge is no stranger to making history, but this batting champion title is particularly meaningful to him, especially considering how he has always valued batting averages in the context of effective sports performance.

To explain further, Judge pointed out a specific game day when he led off with a single, helping to secure a victory with another single from Giancarlo Stanton.

“If I’m not focused on helping the team, I’m not contributing,” he said. “Aiming to be a good hitter is contagious. One hit can spark another, and that leads to more wins.”