Aaron Judge has always been larger than life. A 6-foot-7 freight train in pinstripes, a two-time MVP, a record-setter with 62 bombs in a single season, and the face of the Yankees’ franchise. Now heâs adding something new to the resume: the hottest start of his careerâand maybe one of the most absurd starts weâve ever seen from a power hitter in his prime.
Through the first month of the 2025 season, Judge isnât just hotâheâs untouchable. After wrapping up April with a four-reach night in Baltimore that included a two-run homer and two singles, heâs sitting on a .427 batting average, a .521 OBP, and a 1.282 OPS. Thatâs not a hot streak. Thatâs cartoon numbers.
And it might not even be his final form.
âI say this and Iâm not being cute or funny â but I donât think heâs been that hot yet, honestly,â Yankees manager Aaron Boone tells Gabe Lacques of USA TODAY. âHeâs getting his hits and I think itâs a credit to how great he is. When he gets really going and starts hitting balls in the seats, buckle up.â
Yankees Star Is Locked Inâand May Is Just Starting
Whatâs making this run even scarier is that Judge isnât just swinging for the fences and hoping for the best. Heâs made real adjustments. His strikeout rate is down to 20%, the lowest of his career. Heâs swinging at more pitches in the zone, laying off the junk, and punishing anything left over the plate. In short, heâs seeing the game slower and hitting the ball harder.
And this isnât just a stat-padding stretch. Compared to previous years, Judge is hitting better across the board. In 2024, he hit just .207 in April. In 2022âhis 62-homer MVP seasonâhe wasnât even batting .260 at this point. This year? Heâs barreling everything.
Judge also hasnât forgotten how last season ended. His misplayed fly ball in Game 5 of the World Series helped fuel a brutal collapse, and he hit just .184 in the playoffs. That mistake, he said, âwill stay with me until I die.â But clearly, heâs using it as fuel. He spent the winter retooling and showed up looking like he had something to prove.
Now, with Mayâhis most productive month historicallyâon deck, the rest of the league should probably brace for more. Judge has hit 59 career home runs in May with a 1.130 OPS. If April was the warm-up, the encore could be even nastier.
Thereâs a long way to go, but if Judge stays upright, he has a chance to join an elite Yankee club: Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, and Yogi Berra are the only players in franchise history with three MVPs. Judge already has two. The way heâs swinging, itâs hard to bet against him making it three.
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