Sep 6, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) looks on from the dugout during the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images John Jones-Imagn Images

Insider: Aaron Judge Not Yet True Yankees Legend

Originally posted on New York Yankees on SI
By Michael Rosenstein | Last updated Sep 17, 2025 11:00 AM ET

There's no doubting New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge is one of the best to ever play in pinstripes.

The slugger is chasing his third American League MVP Award in four years and owns the single-season AL home run record. Judge is a seven-time All-Star and four-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

Is that a great resume? Absolutely. Hall-of-Fame worthy? Sure. But the New York Post's Joel Sherman said it's too soon to put Judge ahead of other Yankees legends and it's because of the one thing missing from the 33-year-old's resume: a World Series title.

"I think Judge's messaging around the home runs, where he's passed Yogi Berra, then he passed Joe DiMaggio, was good, which was, 'It's all great. Those guys did it while winning championships and I gotta do the same.' And I do think, we talk about the Yankee Mount Rushmore or how high Judge could go on any list," Sherman said on the "Pinstripe Post" podcast.

"To me, yes. Was he a better player than Bernie Williams? Yeah, OK he was a better player than Bernie Williams. I'd rather have Bernie Williams' career seven times a week, twice on Sunday.

"Like, championships matter and the guys who were at the very top of this, the (Babe) Ruth, (Lou) Gehring, DiMaggio, (Mickey) Mantle, (Derek) Jeter, Whitey Ford, Mariano Rivera," Sherman continued. "Like, these are guys who were not only champions but then in October performed. And Judge has not done that yet. He's a guy who can get handled in the postseason.

Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

"I do remember that the narrative around, and this is a problematic guy because of the steroid history, but the narrative around Barry Bonds was that he couldn't hit in the postseason. And then in 2002, when the Giants got all the way to Game 7 of the World Series, he was great. He was great. And I assume that Judge is such a great hitter that at some point he'll have three weeks in October where he does click.

"But he does need it for his legacy," Sherman added. "He's a Hall of Famer and a historically great Yankee. He has a pretty good chance to win a third AL MVP, which Yogi did, which Mantle did, which DiMaggio did. But they did it all with championships tied to it.

"By the way, easier championships because it's one round, few teams. I get it. The pitching is ridiculous now. The velocity, the movement, the specified scouting reports on every hitter. But Judge needs an October to kind of get over the top," Sherman concluded.

To Sherman's point, Judge's lifetime postseason batting average is .205 with 16 home runs and 86 strikeouts in 58 games.

Within the last week, Judge passed both Berra and DiMaggio on the Yankees' all-time home run list. He now sits in fourth place, behind Ruth, Mantle and Gehrig.

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This article first appeared on New York Yankees on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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