Aaron James Judge (born April 26,1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He is a seven-time MLB All-Star and two-time American League (AL) Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) winner. He holds the AL record for most home runs in a season with 62. He stands 6feet 7inches (2.01m) tall and weighs 282 pounds (128kg),making him one of the tallest and largest players in MLB.[1] He is considered by some to be among the best power hitters and right-handed batters of all time.[2][3]
Judge played college baseball for the Fresno State Bulldogs,and was selected by the Yankees with the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2013 MLB draft. After making his MLB debut in 2016,Judge won AL Rookie of the Year in 2017 by unanimous vote and finished second in AL MVP voting. He hit an AL-leading 52 home runs,temporarily setting a new MLB rookie record,and became the first rookie to win the Home Run Derby. In 2022,Judge won his first MVP after setting the AL single-season home run record,breaking the 61-year-old mark held by Roger Maris.
Following the 2022 season,Judge re-signed with the Yankees on a nine-year,$360-million contract and was named the team's captain. In 2024,he won his second MVP by unanimous vote,leading MLB in home runs and OPS while becoming the fastest MLB player to reach 300 career home runs. That postseason,the Yankees won their first AL pennant in 15 years but lost in the World Series. Judge was named captain of Team USA ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic.
The Yankees invited Judge to spring training as a non-roster player in 2015.[25] Judge began the season with the Trenton Thunder of the Double-AEastern League.[26] After Judge batted .284/.350/.510 (5th in the league) with 12 home runs (tied for 9th) in 63 games for Trenton,the Yankees promoted Judge to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders of the Triple-AInternational League in June.[27][28] He was chosen to play in the 2015 All-Star Futures Game.[29] The Yankees did not include Judge in their September call-ups.[30] Judge batted .224/.308/.373 with eight home runs in 61 games for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.[31][32] The Yankees invited Judge to spring training in 2016,and he returned to Triple-A to began the season. Judge was named to the International League All-Star Team in 2016 but did not play in the All-Star Game after he spent a month on the disabled list due to a knee sprain.[33][34] In 93 games for the RailRiders,Judge batted .270/.366/.489 with 19 home runs (4th in the league),62 runs (tied for 8th),and 65 RBIs (tied for 7th).[35][36]
New York Yankees (2016–present)
2016
Judge batting in 2016
Judge made his MLB debut on August 13,2016,starting in right field against the Tampa Bay Rays.[37] In his first MLB at-bat,Judge hit a home run off Matt Andriese;the previous batter,Tyler Austin,also making his MLB debut,had done the same. This marked the first time that two teammates had hit home runs in their first MLB career at-bats in the same game.[38] Judge also hit a home run in his second MLB game,becoming the second Yankees player,after Joe Lefebvre in 1980,to homer in each of his first two MLB games.[39] In his debut season,Judge played in 27 games and batted .179/.263/.345 with 15 hits,four home runs,two doubles and 10 runs batted in and he struck out 42 times in 95 plate appearances.[40] His season ended prematurely when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a grade two right oblique strain on September 13,2016.[41] The Yankees missed the 2016 postseason.
2017:Rookie of the Year
The Yankees named Judge their Opening Day right fielder against the Tampa Bay Rays.[42] He had his first multi-home run game on April 28 against the Baltimore Orioles to help the Yankees win 14–11,coming back from a 9–1 deficit.[43] One of the home runs had a measured exit velocity of 119.4 miles per hour (192.2km/h),the fastest exit velocity for a home run measured by Statcast since it was adopted in 2015.[44] This record would later be broken by teammate Giancarlo Stanton on August 9,2018,when Stanton launched a home run with an exit velocity of 121.7 miles per hour (195.9km/h).[45] Judge ended the month of April with 10 home runs,tying the rookie record set by JoséAbreu and Trevor Story.[46] He was named the American League's (AL) Rookie of the Month for April.[47][48] In April,he had a .303 batting average,10 home runs,20 RBIs,and a .411 OBP in 22 games.[47]
The Yankees debuted a cheering section in the right-field seats of Yankee Stadium on May 22. Called "The Judge's Chambers",the section spans three rows in section 104 and contains 18 seats.[49][50] Fans are chosen by the team to sit there and are outfitted with black robes,wigs,and foam gavels.[50][51] In a game against the Oakland Athletics on May 28,Judge hit his first career grand slam.[52] Judge was named AL Rookie of the Month once again for May.[48] In May,he had a .347 batting average,seven home runs,17 RBIs,and a .441 OBP in 26 games.[53]
On June 10,Judge hit a home run that had an exit velocity of 121.1 miles per hour (194.9km/h),again setting a new record for the hardest measured by Statcast.[54] The following day,Judge went 4-for-4 with two home runs;one of the home runs traveled 495 feet (151m),making it the longest home run hit in the 2017 season.[55] On June 12,Judge was named the AL Player of the Week. His week ended with him leading the AL in all three Triple Crown categories.[56] Judge was named the AL Player of the Month for June,batting .337 with 10 home runs,25 RBIs and a .481 OBP. His performance in June also earned him his third consecutive AL Rookie of the Month award,the longest streak since Mike Trout won four in a row in 2012.[48][57] Judge had a 32-game on-base streak,including reaching base in every game in June.[58] On July 2,Judge was voted as a starting outfielder to the MLB All-Star Game,receiving 4,488,702 votes,the most of any player in the AL.[59]
Judge broke Joe DiMaggio's record for most home runs hit by a Yankees rookie with his 30th on July 7.[60] He became the second rookie to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star break,following Mark McGwire in 1987,[61] and the first Yankee to do so since Alex Rodriguez in 2007.[62] Before the All-Star break,Judge hit .329 with 30 home runs and 66 RBIs.
Judge won the Home Run Derby,besting Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sanó 11–10 in the final round to become the first rookie to win the Derby outright.[63] After his performance,MLB commissioner Rob Manfred stated that Judge is a player "who can become the face of the game".[64] On July 21,Judge hit a home run that almost travelled out of Safeco Field. The ball was hit so hard that Statcast could not measure the details of the home run.[65]
Judge at bat in 2017
On August 16,Judge hit a 457-foot (139m) home run at Citi Field that reached the third deck. He also broke a record for position players by striking out in a 33rd consecutive game.[66][67] On August 20,Judge tied pitcher Bill Stoneman's streak of striking out in 37 consecutive games.[68]
On September 4,Judge became the first AL rookie with 100 walks in a season since Al Rosen in 1950,and the first rookie in MLB to do it since Jim Gilliam in 1953. On September 10,Judge walked for the 107th time,the most walks by a rookie in a season since Ted Williams in 1939.[69] During the same game,he also became the second rookie in MLB history to hit 40 home runs in a season since McGwire (1987).[70] He joined Babe Ruth (1920),Lou Gehrig (1927),Joe DiMaggio (1937) and Mickey Mantle (1956) as the only Yankees to hit 40 home runs in a season at age 25 or younger.[71]
On September 25,Judge hit his 49th and 50th home runs,tying and surpassing Mark McGwire's single-season rookie home run record.[72] On September 30,Judge hit his 52nd home run of the season and his 33rd at Yankee Stadium,surpassing Babe Ruth's single-season record (set in 1921) for most home runs hit by a Yankees player at his home ballpark.[73] After the conclusion of September,Judge won Player of the Month for the second time and Rookie of the Month for the fourth time.[48]
Judge appeared in 155 games and finished the 2017 regular season slashing .284/.422/.627 with 154 hits,52 home runs,three triples,24 doubles,114 RBI,127 walks,11 intentional walks and nine stolen bases.[74] He led the AL in home runs,runs scored (128),and walks (a major-league rookie record 127). He ranked second in the league in RBIs. He also struck out an MLB-leading 208 times,[75] breaking the Yankees record previously set by Curtis Granderson in 2012[76] and a rookie record previously set by Kris Bryant in 2015.[77]
With the Yankees finishing the year with a 91–71 record,the team clinched a Wild Card in the 2017 postseason. During the Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins,Judge hit a home run en route to an 8–4 Yankees victory.[78] In Game 3 of the AL Division Series (ALDS),Judge robbed Francisco Lindor of a home run,preserving the tie game. Judge struck out 16 times in the series,setting an ALDS record.[79] After the Yankees defeated the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS,Judge hit three home runs for the Yankees in the AL Championship Series (ALCS). He also robbed Yulieski Gurriel of a potential home run in the Yankees' Game 7 ALCS loss to the Houston Astros. He finished with 27 strikeouts in the postseason,a major league record at the time.[80][a]
On November 21,it was revealed that Judge had undergone arthroscopic surgery in his left shoulder for a cartilage cleanup,an injury dating back to April of that year.[86][87]
2018
On March 31,Judge made his first career start at center field in the majors. At 6feet 7inches (2.01m) tall and weighing 282 pounds (128kg),he became the tallest and heaviest player in baseball history to play the position.[88][89]
On July 26,a 93mph fastball by Kansas City Royals pitcher Jakob Junis hit Judge on his right wrist and he left the game. Later,an MRI/CT scan revealed that he suffered a fractured ulnar styloid bone in his wrist. No surgery was required,and initial reports gave a three-week timetable for Judge to recover.[92] The injury took longer to heal than expected,with Judge missing close to two months. On September 18,Judge returned to the starting lineup.[93] Judge finished the season with a .278 batting average,27 home runs,and 67 RBIs in 112 games.[94] The Yankees beat the Oakland A's in the Wild Card Game[95] but were defeated,three games to one,by the Red Sox in the ALDS.[96]
2019
Judge during batting practice in 2019
Judge started the season off with a .288 batting average,five home runs,and 11 RBIs in his first 20 games.[97] However,on April 20,Judge suffered a left oblique strain while hitting a single in the sixth inning against the Kansas City Royals.[98] He did not play again until June 21.[99]
On August 27,Judge hit his 17th home run of the season and 100th home run of his career,a 462-foot blast against the Seattle Mariners. Coming in his 371st game,it made him the third-fastest MLB player to hit 100 home runs.[100]
Judge hit a home run over Fenway Park's Green Monster for the first time on September 8. With this home run,the 2019 Yankees set a new franchise record for team home runs in a season.[101]
In 2019,Judge batted .272/.381/.540,with 103 hits,27 home runs,one triple,18 doubles and 55 RBIs in 447 plate appearances across 102 games.[102] He had the fastest average exit velocity on balls hit in play among major leaguers at 95.9mph (154.3km/h).[103] He led the league in defensive runs saved as a right fielder (19 runs saved,tied with Cody Bellinger) but did so in fewer innings (775+1⁄3 compared to 911+1⁄3 for Bellinger). Judge earned the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award for his position in right field.[104]
2020
During spring training in March, Judge felt soreness in his pectoral area. It was revealed that he had suffered a stress fracture in his ribs and was shut down for at least two weeks.[105] However, the start of the season was delayed until July.[106]
Judge began the shortened 2020 season with five consecutive games with a home run (6 during the span), launching a 419-feet, 108mph three-run shot off of Boston Red Sox pitcher Matt Hall. His streak ended on August 3 when he went 2-for-4 without a home run. It was the longest home run streak by a Yankees player since Alex Rodriguez (September 4–9, 2007).[107] On August 14, Judge was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right calf strain.[108] On August 26, he was again placed on the 10-day injured list after straining the same calf the day he returned against the Atlanta Braves.[109] He finished the season slashing .257/.336/.554 with 26 hits, nine home runs, three doubles and 22 RBIs over 28 games.[110] In the playoffs, he batted 4-for-30 with 3 home runs and 5 RBI as the Yankees lost to Tampa Bay in the ALDS.[111]
2021
During the week of May 10–16, Judge earned his fourth career AL Player of the Week Award.[112] Judge had a slash line of .571/.640/1.333 with eight runs scored, 12 hits, a double, five home runs, six RBIs, and three walks in six games (five multi-hit games and his 13th career multi-homer game). He also hit his 130th career home run, the second-most in MLB history through 460 career games, trailing only Ryan Howard (142).[113] On May 23, Judge recorded his first career walk-off RBI, taking a walk on a 3–1 pitch against Liam Hendriks of the Chicago White Sox.[114]
On July 9, Judge recorded his 500th career hit during a game against the Houston Astros by hitting a double to left field off pitcher Brandon Bielak.[115] He became the second-fastest Yankee to 500 hits and 100 home runs. He accomplished the feat in his 506th game, with only Joe DiMaggio getting there faster, at 395 games.[116]
Judge was named the starting right fielder in the All-Star Game.[117] Following the All-Star Game, Judge was placed on the COVID-19 injured list after testing positive for the virus.[118] Judge returned against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 27.[119]
On August 12, in the Field of Dreamsgame in Iowa, Judge hit two multiple-run home runs.[120] He also hit two home runs on September 11 against the New York Mets with his 31st and 32nd home runs.[121] On October 3, the last game of the regular season, Judge recorded his first career walk-off hit, a single that scored Tyler Wade to beat Tampa Bay 1–0 and clinch a Wild Card Game spot for the Yankees.[122] In the Wild Card Game, Judge became the first Yankee to be ruled out at home plate on a hit in a winner-take-all game.[123]
Judge finished the 2021 season batting .287/.373/.544 with 158 hits, 39 home runs, 24 doubles, 98 RBI, 75 walks, two intentional walks, and six stolen bases.[124] After the season, Judge won a Fielding Bible Award for his defensive excellence and his second Silver Slugger Award.[125] On November 23, 2021, Judge was named to the First Team of the All-MLB Team as an outfielder.[126] He finished fourth in AL MVP voting.[127]
2022: AL home run record, MVP
Judge (near third base) circles the bases at Yankee Stadium after his first home run of the 2022 season.
Before the 2022 Yankees season, Judge and the Yankees were unsuccessful in negotiating a long-term contract. General managerBrian Cashman told ESPN that the team offered Judge $17million in arbitration and a seven-year extension worth $213.5million.[128] Judge avoided salary arbitration and signed a one-year, $19million contract on June 24, with additional $250,000 bonuses for winning each of the MVP Award and the World Series MVP Award.[129]
Judge slashed .293/.361/.600 for the month of April, with six home runs.[130] He hit his first career walk-off home run on May 10 off Toronto Blue JayscloserJordan Romano.[131] Judge won the AL Player of the Month Award for May.[132] During the month, Judge slashed .311/.378/.699 with 12 home runs.[130] He hit his second walk-off home run on June 26 against the Houston Astros.[133]
Judge was elected as a starter for the All-Star Game, receiving the most fan votes of any player in the AL.[134] This was his second consecutive and fourth overall All-Star selection.[135]
Judge slugged his third walk-off homer for the season against the visiting Kansas City Royals on July 28, tying Mickey Mantle for most by a Yankee in a season.[136][137] Judge won back-to-back AL Player of the Week Awards for the weeks ending July 24 and 31.[138] Judge also claimed the AL Player of the Month Award for July after batting .333/.436/.806 with 13 home runs.[132][130]
On July 30, Judge became the second-fastest player in history to hit 200 career home runs (behind Ryan Howard), launching a two-run shot off of Jon Heasley of the Kansas City Royals.[139] On August 29, during a game against the Los Angeles Angels, Judge hit his 50th home run for the season, coming off reliever Ryan Tepera. He became only the tenth player in MLB history and third player in Yankees franchise history to record multiple 50 home run seasons.[140]
Judge hit his 55th home run during the first game of a doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on September 7 off rookie starting pitcher Louie Varland. He became the fourth player in MLB history to hit at least 55 home runs and steal at least 15 bases in a season, joining Babe Ruth (1921), Sammy Sosa (1998), and Ken Griffey Jr. (1997–98).[141] On September 18 against the Milwaukee Brewers, Judge equaled Hank Greenberg and Sosa's record of 11 multiple home run games in an MLB season, bringing up his 58th and 59th home runs, while also tying and surpassing Greenberg (1938) and Jimmie Foxx (1932) for the AL single season record for most home runs by a right handed batter.[142][130] Judge's 60th home run came on September 20.[143]
On September 28, Judge hit his 61st home run off Tim Mayza of the Toronto Blue Jays, tying Roger Maris for the most home runs in a single season in American League history.[144] In the second game of a doubleheader (and the Yankees' second-to-last regular season game) against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on October 4, Judge hit his 62nd home run off Jesús Tinoco, setting the new single-season American League home run record.[145][146][147] Judge was selected as the AL Player of the Week for the week of September 29–October 5.[148] Judge claimed his third AL Player of the Month Award in September 2023.[132] He batted .417/.565/.869 for September.[130]
In 2022, Judge led the major leagues with 62 home runs, 133 runs scored, 131 RBI (tied with Pete Alonso of the Mets), 111 walks, and batted .311/.425/.686 with 177 hits, 28 doubles, and 19 intentional walks, while stealing 16 bases in 19 attempts, in 157 games.[149] He was denied the American League triple crown, as Luis Arráez of the Minnesota Twins had a batting average that was five points higher than Judge's.[150]
Judge won the 2022 American League MVP Award, earning 28 of 30 first-place votes.[151] He was also named to the 2022 All-MLB Team.[152] Judge's 2022 campaign is considered one of the best offensive seasons in major league history.[153][154] On December 30, 2022, he was voted The Associated Press (AP) "Male Athlete of the Year" by a panel of 40 sports writers and editors from news outlets throughout the United States. Judge just edged out Los Angeles Angelstwo-way star and 2021's winner Shohei Ohtani in voting.[155][156] Judge was also selected as the Time Magazine Athlete of the Year.[157]
The Yankees qualified for the postseason, facing the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS, where Judge slashed .200/.238/.500 with two home runs, as the Yankees defeated the Guardians in five games.[158] In the ALCS, Judge hit just .063/.118/.063 with one hit and a walk as the Yankees were swept in four games by the Houston Astros, who would go on to win the World Series.[159]
After the 2022 season, Judge became a free agent. The Yankees extended the qualifying offer of a one-year contract worth $19.65million to Judge,[160] but he declined.[161] During free agency, Judge was pursued by the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants as well as the Yankees.[162][163] By early December 2022, the Padres offered Judge over $400 million, according to Judge's agent. The Yankees were only offering $320 million over eight years. A new deal with the Yankees was created in a phone call between Judge and Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, when Steinbrenner offered to add a ninth year and an additional $40 million.[164] That became the foundation of an agreement that the Yankees, and Judge signed on December 20, 2022, with the nine-year, $360million deal breaking the record for the largest free agent deal in MLB history.[165] In a press conference on the following day, Steinbrenner named Judge the 16th captain of the Yankees and the first since Derek Jeter had retired eight years earlier.[166][167]
Judge received the AL Player of the Week Award for the week of May 15–21.[171] Despite missing the first week of games in May, Judge also won the AL Player of the Month Award for May after batting .342/.474/.882 with 12 home runs in 21 games.[172]
On August 23, Judge hit three home runs, including a grand slam, against the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium.[176] He repeated the feat at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks less than a month later on September 22, becoming the first Yankee to homer three times in a game twice in a season.[177] Judge won his second AL Player of the Week Award of the season on September 24.[178]
On September 2, Judge hit his 250th career home run (30th of the season) in a game against the Houston Astros. The 426-foot solo smash came off Astros ace Justin Verlander in the fifth inning. It was his 810th career game, setting a new record as the fastest player to reach 250 home runs in MLB history, passing marks previously set by Ryan Howard (855 games) and Ralph Kiner (871 games).[179]
Despite missing 56 games, Judge hit 37 home runs in 2023, putting him on a 55 home run pace had he played a full season. He slashed .267/.406/.613, from 106 games, his second consecutive year with an on-base plus slugging percentage over 1.000 and his third overall.[180] He registered 98 hits, 16 doubles, 75 RBI, 88 walks, 9 intentional walks, and 3 stolen bases (caught stealing once).[180] The Yankees finished the regular season in fourth place in the AL East and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016.[181]
Judge received the Roberto Clemente Award before Game 3 of the World Series. The award acknowledged his exemplary character and charity work promoting responsible youth and civic citizenship in New York and California through his ALL RISE Foundation.[182][183] Judge was also selected to the All-MLB Team for the third successive year, this time to the Second Team.[184] He finished 15th in AL MVP voting.[185]
As captain, Judge appeared to take a more hands-on approach towards the Yankees organization, having conversations with Hal Steinbrenner about the team direction and potential changes following the Yankees missing the postseason.[186]
2024: MVP, AL pennant
Judge in 2024
Following an injury-interrupted spring training, Judge started the 2024 season slowly, hitting .180 through the first three weeks of April.[187][188][189] Judge primarily played at center field early in the season but also made his first major league appearance in left field when Alex Verdugo was on paternity leave.[190][191] By late April, Judge appeared more comfortable and improved his performance at the plate, collecting eight hits and three home runs along with six walks in the final week of the month.[188]
Judge was selected as the AL Player of the Week for the week of May 19, after going 10-for-20 and slugging 1.200 with three home runs and five doubles in this period.[138][192] Judge was also selected as the AL Player of the Month for May, having hit 14 home runs and 12 doubles in the month, with 27 RBI, slashing .361/.479/.918.[188][193] This marked Judge's seventh AL Player of the Month selection, and his third consecutive May honor.[193] Judge also completed a homecoming of sorts, playing his first series at Oracle Park against the San Francisco Giants, where he went 6-for-10 with three home runs and six RBI as the Yankees swept the series.[194] By the end of May, Judge improved his season slash line to .277/.405/.643, with an OPS of 1.048.[195]
For the week ending June 9, Judge received his second AL Player of the Week award for 2024.[138] In the six-game homestand split against the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Dodgers, Judge slashed .500/.630/1.200 with three home runs and 12 RBI.[196] Following a 3-for-4 game against the Dodgers on June 9, Judge raised his season batting average to over .300 for the first time in 2024.[194] By the end of June, Judge led the majors in home runs (31), RBI (82), and OPS (1.144), and he was second in the AL in batting average (.316) among qualified hitters.[197][198] Judge won the AL Player of the Month Award again in June, for the second consecutive month, slashing .409/.514/.864, with 11 home runs and 37 RBI for the month.[132][199]
On June 27, Judge was announced as a starting outfielder for the AL in the All-Star Game, having received the most votes.[200] This was the second time in three seasons that he received the most All-Star votes.[201]
On August 14, batting against Chad Kuhl of the Chicago White Sox, Judge hit his 300th career home run in the Yankees' 10–2 victory. He became the fastest player to ever hit 300 home runs, taking him 955 games and 3,431 at-bats, surpassing both Ralph Kiner's record by 132 games and Babe Ruth's by 400 at-bats.[202][203] He became the second hitter to record his 300th home run prior to his 1,000th hit.[204] He hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season on August 25, becoming the fifth player in MLB history with three-plus seasons of 50 or more home runs.[205] Judge was named the AL Player of the Week for the week of August 19–25, following a strong homestand against the Cleveland Guardians and Colorado Rockies.[206] On August 26, Judge collected his 1,000th career hit, a line-drive single to right field against José Ferrer at Nationals Park.[207] Judge received the August AL Player of the Month Award, his third such award of the season, after slashing .389/.530/.856.[208]
On September 13, Judge hit a go-ahead grand slam at Yankee Stadium against the Boston Red Sox.[209] This ended a 16-game homerless streak, the longest of his major league career.[210] Judge completed the regular season slashing .322/.458/.701, with 180 hits, 58 home runs, one triple, 36 doubles, 144 RBI, 133 walks, 20 intentional walks and 10 stolen bases from 155 games.[194]
The Yankees won the ALCS against the Cleveland Guardians in five games in which Judge hit two home runs and notched five RBIs. In his first World Series, Judge went 1-for-12 with seven strikeouts in the first three games of the series as the Yankees fell into a 3–0 series deficit.[211][212] In Game 5, Judge hit his first World Series home run as the Yankees jumped out to a 5–0 lead, but a series of defensive mistakes, including Judge's first error of the year, allowed the lead to slip away as the Yankees lost the game 7–6, and thus the series in five games.[213] After the season, Judge won the AL MVP Award. He became the second Yankee player to win the award unanimously, following Mickey Mantle in 1956.[214]
2025
Judge in 2025
On March 29, Judge hit three home runs and a double with eight RBIs against the Milwaukee Brewers, his third career three-homer game.[215] On March 31, Judge was named the AL Player of the Week for the opening week of the season after going 6-for-11 and slugging 1.818 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.[216]
On April 3, Judge hit his 500th career extra-base hit with a first-inning three-run home run off the Arizona Diamondbacks' Merrill Kelly. Judge became the third-fastest Yankee to reach the milestone in terms of games played, having done so in his 999th game.[217] In the same game, Judge became the first player in MLB history with five home runs and 15 RBIs in his team's first six games of the season. On April 4 against the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing in his 1,000th game for the Yankees, Judge registered his 321st home run, equaling Babe Ruth's record for home runs in his first 1,000 Yankees games.[218] By the end of April, Judge was slashing .427/.521/.761 for an OPS of 1.282 with 10 HR and 32 RBI.[219] Judge won with the AL Player of the Month Award for April, the tenth of his career.[220] On May 30 against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Judge and Shohei Ohtani became the first reigning MVPs ever to each hit a home run in the first inning of the same game.[221] Judge was named the AL Player of the Month again in May 2025, after slashing .364/.453/.798, with 11 home runs on the month. His 11th career monthly award is the most in AL history, surpassing Alex Rodriguez.[222][220]
On June 26, Judge was announced as a starting outfielder for the AL in the All-Star Game, having received the most votes for the third time in four seasons and the second straight year.[223][224] On July 12, Judge hit his 350th career home run against the Chicago Cubs; he accomplished this in 1,088 games, breaking the record of 1,280 games by Mark McGwire.[225] On July 27, Judge was placed on the 10-day injury list with a flexor strain in his right elbow, following discomfort while throwing from the outfield against the Toronto Blue Jays.[226] He was reactivated on August 5, mostly appearing as designated hitter in the following month, before making more regular appearances in the outfield from mid-September.[227] On September 9 against the Detroit Tigers, Judge hit his 359th home run, passing Yogi Berra for fifth place on the Yankees all-time home run list.[228]
Judge posing with U.S. president Donald Trump on September 11, 2025
On September 11, two more home runs against the Tigers brought his total to 361, tying Joe DiMaggio for fourth all-time in Yankees history.[229] The next day, he passed DiMaggio with his 362nd against the Red Sox.[230] This was his 19th first-inning home run of the season, breaking a tie with Alex Rodriguez (2001) and his own mark from 2024 for the most home runs by a player in a single inning in a season.[231] On September 15, Judge was named the AL Player of the Week after going 9-for-20 and slugging 1.760 with five home runs and five RBIs.[232] On September 24, he hit two home runs against the White Sox, bringing him to the 50 home run mark in a season for the fourth time, tying Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa for the most such seasons in MLB history. Judge and Ruth are the only Yankees to have consecutive years of 50 or more homers.[233] On September 29, Judge was named the AL Player of the Week after going 9-for-20 with four home runs, nine RBIs and an OPS of 1.693 .[234] He also secured American League Player of the Month honors for September after slashing .391/.440/.772 with 10 home runs.[235]
Judge finished the 2025 regular season with a .331 batting average, leading the major leagues, and winning his first career batting title. At 6 feet 7 inches, he became the tallest batting champion in MLB history.[236] He slashed .331/.457/.688 on the season, while recording 53 home runs, 179 hits, two triples, 30 doubles, 114 RBI, 124 walks, 36 intentional walks and 12 stolen bases in 152 games.[237] Judge's 36 intentional walks broke the American League single-season record, overtaking Ted Williams' record of 34 set in the 1957 season.[238]
Through the AL Wild Card series against the Boston Red Sox, Judge went 4 for 11 with one walk and one RBI.[239] On 7 October at Yankee Stadium, with the Yankees facing being swept in the AL Division Series and being eliminated by the Toronto Blue Jays, Judge went 3-4 and hit the tying three-run home run off the foul pole as the Yankees came back from a 6-1 run deficit to keep the series alive.[240] This effort answered some of the lingering criticism of his previously underwhelming postseason performances, which had amplified after he had struck out with the bases loaded in the series opener.[241] Judge ended the postseason slashing .500/.581/.692 with thirteen hits, one home run, two doubles and seven RBI across seven games as the Yankees were eliminated by the Blue Jays in four games.[242]
On April 14, 2025, Judge was named captain of Team USA ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Team USA manager Mark DeRosa announced the decision on MLB Network, with Judge joining the broadcast to express his excitement: "Now, getting a chance to have 'USA' across my chest and represent all the great people in our country and represent what this country means, it's a great opportunity. I never had this opportunity before, even growing up as a kid, so I'm definitely looking forward to it."[243]
Judge did not compete in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, choosing instead to focus on preparing for his season with the Yankees, given his recent contract and captaincy.[244]
Records and milestones
New York Yankees franchise records
Most home runs in a season hit at home: 33 (Babe Ruth held the record with 32).
Most home runs in a season by a rookie: 52 (Joe DiMaggio held the record with 29)[245]
Most home runs in a single season: 62 (Roger Maris held the record with 61)[246]
First right-handed hitter in Yankees history with at least 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored, and 100 walks in a single season
Most home runs (4) in the first seven home playoff games, tying Reggie Jackson (1977–78).
Most career home runs in postseason elimination games: 6 (Tied with David Ortiz)[260]
Awards and honors
15× American League Player of the Week (June 5–11, 2017, September 18–24, 2017, July 27–August 2, 2020, May 10–16, 2021, July 18–24, 2022, July 25–31, 2022, September 29–October 5, 2022, May 15–21, 2023, September 18–24, 2023, May 13–19, 2024, June 3–9, 2024, August 19–25, 2024, March 27–31, 2025, September 8–14, 2025, September 22–28, 2025)[138]
12× American League Player of the Month (June 2017, September 2017, May 2022, July 2022, September 2022, May 2023, May 2024, June 2024, August 2024, April 2025, May 2025, September 2025)[132]
Judge has worn the unusual uniform number of 99 since it was given to him during 2016 spring training[262] (higher numbers are typically given to young players who are not expected to make the final regular-season roster). In 2016, Judge had stated he would have preferred either No. 44 (retired by the Yankees to honor Reggie Jackson) or No. 35 but was not sure whether he would switch if the latter two were to become available.[262]
MLB along with the MLB Players Association, created Players Weekend to let players "express themselves while connecting with their past in youth baseball". From August 25–27, 2017, players wore alternate team jerseys inspired by youth league designs. They also had the option to replace their last names with their nicknames on their jersey nameplates, and the vast majority of players did so. Judge chose the nickname "All Rise" (given to him by former teammate Todd Frazier) to be worn on the back of his jersey nameplate.[263] For the 2018 Players Weekend, Judge chose to just have his last name on the back of his jersey.[264] During the 2019 event, Judge chose his own nickname, "BAJ", an abbreviation of "Big Aaron Judge".[265]
Judge has been credited as a team leader both on and off the field.[268]
He has a number of rituals before, during, and after games. According to Michael Kay (as discussed during The Michael Kay Show), before each game at Yankee Stadium, Judge ceremoniously tosses exactly 40 sunflower seeds in the grass behind home plate (one for each man on the extended Yankees roster.)[269] The prayer he recites after he tosses the seeds is unknown to the public.[269]
During his 2017 rookie season, it was reported that Judge kept a note on his phone that read ".179", his batting average with the Yankees in 2016, and looked at it daily as a source of motivation.[270]
Appearances outside of baseball
Philanthropy
Judge is the founder of the ALL RISE Foundation. Judge's mother, Patty, serves as its executive director and president.[271] The foundation's mission statement is to "inspire children and youth to become responsible citizens and encourage them to reach unlimited possibilities."[272] In January 2024, the foundation hosted an "All-Star Evening" gala on Wall Street, raising nearly $800,000 for various youth programs in New York City.[273]
Endorsements
At the beginning of his career, Judge had contracts with Rawlings, Under Armour, and Fanatics. After his 2017 rookie season, Judge signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Pepsi.[274][275] Judge endorsed Under Armour gear from 2014 until the 2018 season, when he signed an endorsement deal with Adidas.[276] That deal expired in 2022. In August 2023, Judge signed a shoe deal with Nike-owned Jordan Brand, becoming the fifth active MLB player to do so.[277] For the 2023 season, Legends Hospitality, the concessions company at Yankee Stadium, announced "The 99 Burger", a California-inspired food item named after Judge's uniform number.[278] In March 2024, Judge was named the face of a new Ralph Lauren fragrance, "Polo Est. 67 Eau de Toilette" and its "Design Your Dreams" ad campaign.[279] In April 2024, Judge agreed to endorse energy drink Prime.[280]
American League Player of the Month June 2017 September 2017 May 2022 July 2022 September 2022 May 2023 May 2024 June 2024 August 2024 April 2025 May 2025 September 2025
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