Aaron Judge’s Historic 2025: A Start for the Ages

Aaron Judge is one of the biggest stars in Major League Baseball today. Known for his size, power, and skill, Judge stands at 6'7" and weighs 282 pounds, making him an imposing figure on the field. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2013 and quickly became one of the best players in the game. His breakout year was in 2017, when he won the American League Rookie of the Year award after hitting 52 home runs, setting a record for the most home runs by a rookie. Since then, Judge has become a leader for the Yankees, making several All-Star teams and winning MVP awards. His power and smart approach to hitting have made him one of the most feared hitters in baseball, known for his huge home runs and great plays in the outfield.

In 2024, Judge was named captain of the Yankees. This is an honor given to only a select few players in the team's history, including legends like Derek Jeter and Lou Gehrig. This recognition cemented Judge's place as a key figure not only in the Yankees' lineup but also in the franchise's legacy.

Judge has already established himself as one of the most powerful and iconic players in baseball. But what he’s doing in the 2025 season has taken his greatness to an entirely new level. Through just 34 games, Judge has put up numbers that are elevating himself from a star of his era to an all-time icon.

A Start for the History Books

To understand how incredible Judge’s start has been, let’s talk about batting average. This stat measures how often a player gets a hit compared to their number of at-bats. A .300 average is considered very good in Major League Baseball, and batting champions, the players who lead the league each year, usually finish between .330 and .350.

In 2025, Aaron Judge is batting an unbelievable .423. That’s not just good, it’s historic. Through the first 34 games of a season, that would rank fifth all time. To put it in perspective, Judge’s batting average is actually higher than any other player’s on-base percentage in the American League. That’s especially impressive because on-base percentage (OBP) includes not just hits, but also walks and times hit by a pitch, so it usually ends up being much higher than batting average alone.

But Judge isn’t just leading in one area. He’s dominating across the board. His .510 OBP means he’s reaching base more than half the time he comes to the plate, something only the best hitters in history have done. Add in a slugging percentage over .700, which measures how many total bases a player earns per at-bat, with extra credit for power hits like doubles, triples, and home runs, and it's clear that Judge is doing serious damage every time he steps up. He’s already hit 11 home runs, and the season is just a little over a month old.

In fact, the 33-year-old currently leads all of Major League Baseball in hits, home runs, RBIs, total bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS (on-base plus slugging). That kind of dominance in every major offensive category is something the game rarely sees, and it shows just how complete and historic this start to the season has been.

The Greatest Right-Handed Hitter Ever?

As if his incredible start at the plate weren’t impressive enough, Aaron Judge is now entering a conversation reserved for the absolute best to ever play the game. With his unmatched combination of batting average, power, on-base skills, and consistency, Judge is doing things that few, if any, right-handed hitters in baseball history have ever done. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark even suggested that Judge might be the greatest right-handed hitter of all time.

That kind of praise isn’t handed out lightly. Judge already made history by hitting 62 home runs in 2022, breaking the American League single-season record. Then, in 2024, he captured his second MVP award with an even more complete season.

Now in 2025, he’s performing at a level rarely seen in the game, entering a league of his own. He’s joining the conversation with baseball’s true icons. As Yankees broadcaster Paul O’Neill said during one of Judge’s recent hot streaks, “We’re watching one of the best ever to play this game.” If Judge continues at this pace, he may go down as the gold standard for right-handed hitters in the history of the sport.