The results are in for American League MVP and Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has won it in unanimous fashion. He should have. It was an overwhelming case. He led the league in home runs, RBI, walks, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, total bases and WAR.
This was Judge's second MVP and that puts him in elite company, obviously. If we simply break it down to members of the Yankees who won multiple MVPs with the ballclub, here's the list:
- Lou Gehrig (1927, 1936)
- Joe DiMaggio (1939, 1941, 1947)
- Yogi Berra (1951, 1954, 1955)
- Mickey Mantle (1956, 1957, 1962)
- Roger Maris (1960, 1961)
- Alex Rodriguez (2005, 2007)
- Aaron Judge (2022, 2024)
Judge ended up this season with 58 home runs, 144 RBI and 122 runs. It was his third season with at least 50 home runs and second season with at least 130 RBI. He's scored more than 120 runs three times. Those are some gaudy counting stats.
First off, the only players in MLB history with at least three 50-homer seasons are Babe Ruth (four), Sammy Sosa (four), Mark McGwire, A-Rod and Judge. Do what you will with Judge's company there, but it's a good illustration of what he's doing with his career to this point.
Only 14 players in the 2000s have topped 130 RBI twice. In the last 10 years, the only player other than Judge to do it is Nolan Arenado and his two seasons came with the Rockies, meaning half the games were in Coors Field.
Only six players in the 2000s have scored at least 120 times three times. A-Rod did it six times while Albert Pujols and Mookie Betts did so four times. Judge is tied with Barry Bonds and Todd Helton at three.
Judge has now gone over 10.5 WAR twice in the last three seasons. There have only been 18 players in MLB history to top 10.5 WAR in a season, going back to the likes of Honus Wagner and Eddie Collins. Judge is among 10 to have gotten there multiple times along with Ruth (seven), Willie Mays (five), Barry Bonds (three), Rogers Hornsby (three), Ty Cobb (three), Mike Trout (two), Carl Yastrzemski (two), Mickey Mantle (two) and Ted Williams (two).
After a 210 OPS+ in 2022, Judge posted a 223 OPS+ this season. He's one of 10 players to ever have two 210-or-better OPS+ seasons while qualifying for the batting title. Some of the other names on that list? Ruth, Bonds, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Mantle and Williams.
Are we getting the idea yet? Aaron Judge right now is statistically one of the greatest offensive players in baseball history. Let's keep in mind a fluky injury held him to 106 games in 2023, which was bookended by his two all-time great seasons. Prior to his injury in 2023, he was hitting .291/.404/.674 with 19 homers and 40 RBI in 49 games, which were 162-game paces of 63 home runs and 132 RBI.
Throw in that he's been forced to play out of position in center field far too often and it becomes even more impressive.
Of course, with Judge playing in the pinstripes, there's another element here to consider: World Series rings. Those Yankees players listed above with multiple MVPs? They all won at least one World Series with the Yankees. A-Rod is the only one with just ("just") one ring, actually.
Judge just made his first run to the World Series with the Yankees. I'm not of the mind that players in this sport should be judged like it's, say, basketball, where they have so much more control over the game outcome. Ted Williams, Ty Cobb, Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Bonds, Ernie Banks, Tony Gwynn et. al. don't have a black mark on their ledger because they never brought home a title. It's not a sport that lends itself to an individual player single-handedly lifting his team like that.
I think a lot of Yankees fans disagree with me, however, and Judge just hit .184/.344/.408 with three homers and nine RBI in 14 playoff games. He made a costly error in Game 5 of the World Series, too.
It's an interesting consideration. Judge is in the midst of one of the greatest regular-season runs in MLB history while playing for the most high-profile team there is. That means that he gets a ton of attention and well-deserved praise along with his accolades. He'll also get more harshly judged if he's never part of a World Series champion.