Aaron Judge joins MLB’s top 5 greatest batting feats, surpasses Yankees teammate

Aaron Judge is having one hell of a season, as many on social media would agree. He’s the first, and so far, only player in his division to reach 15 home runs, a milestone that only a few players across the league have achieved this MLB regular season. But that’s not the only category he’s leading. Judge recently entered the top five for one of the greatest batting feats in MLB history and even surpassed one of his fellow New York Yankees teammates along the way.

With the weight of leading the Yankees to their first championship in over a decade, Judge is proving he’s up to the task, especially with Juan Soto no longer on the roster and Giancarlo Stanton still working his way back from injury. Given that context, Judge’s hits and home runs have been crucial in securing several wins for the Yankees so far this season.

That’s why his latest achievement, joining the top five greatest batting feats in MLB history when factoring in 15+ home runs within the first 45 games, is so significant. He now shares that elite company with legends like Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Mantle, and Manny Ramirez, some of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen.

With 15 home runs and a .402 batting average through 45 games, Judge finds himself just .003 behind Ramirez’s pace and .009 behind Mantle’s iconic 1956 mark. And this isn’t the only milestone he’s reached this year, Judge has already broken a Yankees record that stood for nearly a century.

Judge surpasses one teammate with his appearance in the top 5

Closing in on Mickey Mantle’s decades-old record wasn’t the only remarkable feat Judge accomplished with his stellar regular season so far. Based on the latest rankings, he also moved past a teammate who stood out in the most recent Subway Series against the New York Mets.

With just a .001 difference in batting average, Cody Bellinger landed sixth on the list, having posted a .401 BA during his standout 2019 season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the best years of his career to date.

Judge is leading in plenty of the stats this season

The Yankees slugger isn’t just excelling in batting average, his numbers across the board are impressive. Right now, Judge is making a strong case for another MVP award with the kind of season that’s turning heads, even among fellow players.

Here’s a look at the stats he’s currently leading in across the American League:

• WAR: 3.7
• Hits: 71
• Home runs: 15
• RBI: 41
• Runs: 43
• OBP: .490
• SLG: .751
• OPS: 1.242
• OPS+: 249
• IBB: 8