Can This Be the Year Aaron Judge Breaks the Home Run Single Season Record?
This might be the season when a New York Yankee regains a timeless throne. Aaron Judge has flirted with it on more than one occasion. The only thing that has kept him from crossing the Rubicon are freak injuries borne from natural hustle. A more well-balanced offense and an uncharacteristic fast start have once again brought up the question in whispers. Can Aaron Judge conquer the 73-home run plateau that was established by Barry Bonds?
Judge is about to turn 33 years old. Traditionally, all the top power hitters tend to hit many of their home runs in the mid to late 30s. The two-time AL MVP has the pedigree. He hit 62 home runs, breaking the Yankee record held by Roger Maris in 2022. Along with two 50-home run seasons and two 30-plus on two occasions, Judge has shown, with or without Juan Soto, that he is the best pure hitter in baseball today. The 2018 hit-by-pitch and 2019 oblique injuries cost Judge quite a few games, yet he still stroked 27 in each of these seasons. In 2023, his toe was smashed against the outfield fence in Los Angeles, which hampered a potential 50-home run year. He hit 37 instead. The late return from nagging injuries and a very slow start in April of 2024 implied he might be done, but Aaron finished with his second-best home run season at 58, helped by the fact that pitchers stopped challenging him.
The Yankees’ loss of Juan Soto saw them respond with the acquisitions of Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt to reinforce the lineup. They invested in youth that came out of spring training with Ben Rice, along with top prospect Jasson Dominguez, to add to the lineup. The Yankees breaking home run records to start a season was blamed on torpedo bats. It also included Aaron Judge, who had his best start to a season in recent memory. He currently has six home runs in his first seven games. The better-balanced lineup has given Aaron Judge something no one has given him: the freedom to be pitched, too. As the number three hitter, the Yankees have had men on base for him and no choice but to challenge Judge or risk loading the bases and multi-run innings. A Judge who is healthy and pitched to can hit 60 home runs fairly easily. He can also seriously threaten the all-time season home run record.
The third biggest reason why Judge may just conquer this record is pride. Aaron Judge has a chip on his shoulder. He spent the offseason being mocked for the now infamous fifth-inning drop of an easy fly ball in the fifth game of the 2024 World Series. He saw Juan Soto leave to join the New York Mets and get a record contract. Judge has been discounted and discarded in the minds of MLB fans who look at Shohei Ohtani, the hybrid superstar, as the face of the game. Judge has come close to two triple crowns in addition to his power plays. He has hit .300-plus three of the last four seasons. He is a defensive star in right field and is the complete package. A good starting, injury-free, well-protected Judge is going to impact the 2025 season in ways not seen and far from unexpected. A year of destiny is in the cards and on the docket. The Judge is here, may the court rise.
