Who has been better than Aaron Judge since his first season in 2017? Judge notched 52 home runs in his first season, the most ever for a rookie before Pete Alonso broke the record by hitting 53 home runs. Judge then notched a pair of 27 home run seasons before setting an AL record in 2022 with 62 Home runs.
What Sets Apart The Yankees’ MVP Candidate From The All-Time Greats?
Those 62 homers were more than any other New York Yankee in history. He hit 37 Home runs last year before an awesome 58-home-run campaign this year, all while maintaining a great batting average. But what separates the Judge from the Yankee’s all-time greats?
World Series Appearances
Babe Ruth, who Aaron Judge has passed on the single-season home run list, made 10 World Series appearances and won 7 of them. Ruth had help, of course, but three of those appearances were with the Boston Red Sox. Aaron Judge enters the 2024 postseason, having never even been to the World Series since his debut in 2016. Judge has been to the ALCS but has been eliminated every time.
Judge has helped him, as he has had Giancarlo Stanton since 2018 and Anthony Rizzo since 2021. There have also been other great hitters, such as Gleyber Torres (who had a great 2019 campaign), Juan Soto, and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is having a career year. There has also been a great pitching staff, as pitchers such as Gerrit Cole, Nestor Cortes, and others have made the starting rotation one of the most potent in baseball.
An Opportunity In 2024
An opportunity presents itself in 2024. As Judge and his team eliminated the Kansas City Royals, the Yankees again found themselves in the ALCS. They Are again put against the great Cleveland Guardians and have an opportunity to go to the World Series for the first time since 2009. Aaron Judge has not quite shown up in the postseason in his career. There has been no shortage of power for the Judge, but he has failed to hit when needed. Judge has hit 13 Home runs in 48 games played but has struck out 71 times and is hitting .207 in his postseason career. Against Kansas City, Judge hit .154 with ZERO RBIs after a 144 RBI season. Perhaps Kansas City knew exactly what to do with Judge. However, Judge has never hit a game-tying or game-winning home run in the 7th inning or later in his postseason career.
Judge has struggled immensely in the postseason. If the Yankees arrive in the ALCS and the World Series for the first time in 15 years, he needs to show up in both. What separates Aaron Judge from Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, and others is not that Judge is more powerful than the greats, but that one has won many World Series, and the other has made no World Series appearances.
In conclusion, what separates Judge from others is pretty simple. Stars are not great unless they shine at all times of the year, including the postseason. Of course, Judge is great. However, he is not quite a legend. Judge must prove himself in 2024.
Main Photo Credits: Denny Medley-Imagn Images
