Aaron Judge continues to separate himself from baseball history, and once again, the New York Yankees star finds himself measured against the franchise’s most iconic name. According to data shared by MLB Network, Judge now owns multiple seasons among the highest OPS+ marks since integration, surpassing Mickey Mantle in that elite statistical category more than once.
Judge’s 225 OPS+ in 2024 now stands at the very top of the list when excluding the late-1990s and early-2000s window, edging past Mantle’s 221 OPS+ from 1957. What makes the comparison even more striking is that Judge appears on the leaderboard three separate times, including 215 in 2025 and 210 in 2022.
Mantle, meanwhile, remains deeply embedded in the rankings with elite seasons with the Yankees from 1956, 1957, and 1961, while other all-time greats such as Willie McCovey (209 OPS+ in 1969), Ted Williams (205 in 1947), and Norm Cash (201 in 1961) also appear. Even Barry Bonds, represented by his 1992 and 1993 seasons, sits just below Judge’s top marks in this filtered historical view.
Why MLB separates the late ’90s and early 2000s from these rankings
The decision to exclude 1998 through 2004 reflects a widely acknowledged PEDs era in baseball history, a period when offensive numbers surged under conditions that later prompted league-wide reforms.
During that time, Major League Baseball lacked the comprehensive testing and enforcement systems that would later reshape the sport’s approach to PEDs. As scrutiny intensified in the early 2000s, the league introduced stronger oversight and accountability measures.
That context is why Aaron Judge’s numbers resonate so strongly today. His OPS+ seasons come in a fully regulated environment, well removed from the PEDs era, making his placement above legends like Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, and Willie McCovey especially significant.
