Seattle Mariners former player Ken Griffey Jr. stands on the field before the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago Cubs during the Tokyo Series at Tokyo Dome on March 18. Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Seattle Mariners Legend Ken Griffey Jr. Gets Passed in Baseball History By Aaron Judge

Originally posted on Seattle Mariners on SI
By Brady Farkas | Last updated Jul 21, 2025 6:45 PM ET

The New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves on Sunday afternoon, with Aaron Judge hitting his 36th home run of the season. With that blast, he pulled within two of Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the league-lead (38).

He also passed Mariners legend Ken Griffey Jr. on another impressive list in baseball history, per @StatsCentre:

Most home runs within a player's first 10 career MLB seasons:
408- Albert Pujols (2001-10)
370- Eddie Mathews (1952-61)
369- Ralph Kiner (1946-55)
354- Adam Dunn (2001-10)
351- Aaron Judge (2016-25 via going yard in today's 4-2 @Yankees win vs ATL)
350- Ken Griffey Jr. (1989-98)

Most home runs within a player's first 10 career MLB seasons:
408- Albert Pujols (2001-10)
370- Eddie Mathews (1952-61)
369- Ralph Kiner (1946-55)
354- Adam Dunn (2001-10)
351- Aaron Judge (2016-25 via going yard in today's 4-2 @Yankees win vs ATL)
350- Ken Griffey Jr. (1989-98) pic.twitter.com/0UueGqiKWB
— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) July 21, 2025

It's always tough to see Griffey get passed, considering he is one of the most popular players in baseball history, and his popularity redefined the Mariners in the 1990s. A 22-year veteran of the M's, Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, Griffey spent parts of 13 years in Seattle. He won an MVP with the Mariners, while also making 11 All-Star Games and winning 10 Gold Gloves. He made 13 All-Star appearances in total and hit 630 home runs.

He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Mariner in 2016, making him the first Mariners player in Cooperstown. Edgar Martinez has since joined him, with Ichiro Suzuki getting inducted this upcoming Sunday (July 27).

As for Judge, he's the pre-eminent right-handed hitter in baseball. The Yankees lead the Mariners by two games for the first wild card spot in the American League.

Seattle will open up a new series on Monday night with the Milwaukee Brewers at 6:40 p.m. PT.

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

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