New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits an RBI double in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aaron Judge Joins Elite Crew of Hall of Famers in Wild History as All-Star Game Nears

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jun 28, 2025 9:09 AM ET

After earning the most votes in phase one of the All-Star Game voting, New York Yankees standout Aaron Judge is headed back to the Midsummer Classic for the seventh time in his career. As the highest vote-getter, he's also guaranteed a start in the outfield.

With these distinctions, he's joined some Hall of Fame legends in baseball history, according to Sarah Langs of MLB.com:

Aaron Judge is the 4th player since fan balloting returned in 1970 to lead MLB in voting at least 3 times, joining:

Ken Griffey Jr. (5)
Rod Carew (4)
Ichiro Suzuki (3)

h/t @MLB_PR

Aaron Judge is the 4th player since fan balloting returned in 1970 to lead MLB in voting at least 3 times, joining:

Ken Griffey Jr. (5)
Rod Carew (4)
Ichiro Suzuki (3)

h/t @MLB_PR
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) June 27, 2025

That's elite company for Judge to be in, and it shows the kind of success and popularity that he has. Griffey is one of the most popular players in baseball history, hitting 630 home runs over a 22-year career. He also was an MVP, a 10-time Gold Glover and a 13-time All-Star.

Carew amassed 3,053 hits in his career with the Minnesota Twins and California Angels. A lifetime .328 hitter, he won seven batting titles in all. An 18-time All-Star, he also won an MVP and a Rookie of the Year.

Ichiro will head to the Hall of Fame this summer after an incredible career in the United States, which followed an incredible career in Japan. A lifetime .311 hitter over 19 years with the Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins and Yankees, he won two batting titles and a stolen base crown. A 10-time All-Star and a 10-time Gold Glover, he also won three Silver Slugger Awards, an MVP and a Rookie of the Year.

Judge is hitting .358 this season with 28 homers and 63 RBIs.

This article first appeared on Fastball on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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