Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge Joins Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle in Franchise History

Originally posted on Fastball on SI | By Sam Connon | Last updated Apr 30, 2025 8:52 AM ET

The New York Yankees' offense exploded right off the bat against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday, and Aaron Judge was once again in the middle of their historic performance.

Judge hit the second bomb of the Yankees' back-to-back-to-back home runs that opened the contest, sparking a five-run first inning. New York wound up winning 15-3, while Judge finished 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs.

The 33-year-old right fielder is now batting .412 with nine home runs, 29 RBIs, a 1.235 OPS and a 2.7 WAR so far in 2025.

According to New York Yankees Stats, Judge is now one of three Yankees with at least nine home runs and a batting average over .400 through the first 30 games of a season. He is the first to achieve the feat since Mickey Mantle in 1956, with Lou Gehrig's 1927 campaign rounding out the exclusive group.

Yankees with 9+ HR and .400+ AVG in first 30 games

1927 Lou Gehrig
1956 Mickey Mantle
2025 Aaron Judge
— New York Yankees Stats (@nyyankeesstats) April 30, 2025

Judge currently leads MLB in hits, total bases, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS and WAR. He also leads the American League in runs and RBIs.

At this point last year, Judge was batting .207 with a .754 OPS. He went on to win his second AL MVP award and guide New York back to the World Series.

Judge will look to continue his historic start to the season in Wednesday's rubber match against the Orioles. First pitch from Camden Yards is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. ET.

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

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