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Major Aaron Judge Announcement Made on Thursday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated May 1, 2025 10:44 AM ET

The New York Yankees are off to a solid start in the 2025 campaign, once again headlined by their superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, who has been a dominant force at the plate through the team’s first 31 games.

With an 18–13 record, the Yankees currently sit atop the AL East. And while it’s only the beginning of May, Judge is already making a strong case for another AL MVP run.

On Thursday—an off day for New York—an historic announcement was made regarding Judge’s early-season performance.

According to OptaSTATS, prior to 2025, no American League player had ever recorded 50 hits, reached base 70 times, or totaled 85 bases before the month of May. Aaron Judge has accomplished all three this season.

Prior to 2025, no AL player had ever collected 50 hits in a season before May. Neither had an AL player reached base 70 times (H/BB/HBP) before May, nor amassed 85 total bases before May.

Aaron Judge of the @Yankees did all three this year. pic.twitter.com/MKYRe4VXhZ
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) May 1, 2025

The Team USA captain currently leads the AL in batting average (.427), home runs (10), and RBIs (32). He’s the only player in the designated hitter era (since 1973) to lead the AL in all three Triple Crown categories entering May.

Last season, en route to winning the MVP for the second time in his 10-year career, Judge led the Yankees to the World Series, where they ultimately fell short against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Nonetheless, his 2024 campaign was nothing short of historic. He recorded 180 hits, 58 home runs, and 144 RBIs while batting .322 with a 1.282 OPS.

Recently, Yankees manager Aaron Boone had high praise for Judge’s current performance at the plate, comparing him to a “great three-point shooter.”

"He's like a great three-point shooter at the plate right now. It's remarkable. I always say we're running out of superlatives or things to say about it. He's playing a different game."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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