What Can’t Aaron Judge Do?: Judge’s Unreal Start to 2025
- emeredith55
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
The Yankees currently sit atop the AL East, with a record of 24-18 and the captain is a huge part of that. In 2025, Aaron Judge is playing at a level that has not been seen before in history to start a season. Judge is making an early bid for AL MVP and possibly the greatest single season performance in MLB history.
Judge is leading baseball in batting average (.410), hits (66), home runs (14), RBI (40), and OPS (1.267), while having the lowest strikeout percentage of his career (20.9%). In 2025, Judge has maintained his power, while reducing his strikeouts. This forces pitchers to either attack him in the zone or pitch around him, which leads to the Yankees putting up a league-leading 5.88 runs per game.
You would think that a player of Judge’s size would strictly be a power hitter, but what makes Judge elite is his ability to hit for both power and average. Judge is the fourth player in MLB history to lead the league in batting average and hit at least 14 home runs through a team's first 40 games. Judge’s unique stature and otherworldly skill set gives him a presence unlike any hitter in the game today.
The Yankees also feel Judge's impact defensively. He has moved back to right field with the acquisition of Trent Grisham, and looks more comfortable as a corner outfielder. Last season, Judge moved to center field to make room for Juan Soto in the Yankees’ outfield. Judge faced adversity, having to cover more ground in center field and learning on the fly, but being back in right field has allowed Judge to maximize his defensive ability.
The Yankees are in prime position to make another deep playoff run in 2025. With Soto gone, Judge is undoubtedly the most feared hitter on the team. The Yankees need Judge to take this momentum into the playoffs if they want to return to the World Series. Eager to see how Judge continues to lead the Bronx Bombers throughout the season.
Thank you for reading!
-Elias Meredith (@EAM_55)