CHICAGO — Aaron Judge stepped into baseball immortality Sunday afternoon with one mighty swing of his bat. The Yankees captain crushed his 358th career home run at Guaranteed Rate Field, joining Hall of Fame legend Yogi Berra at fifth place on the franchise’s all-time list.
Aaron Judge slugged the milestone blast in the first inning off White Sox starter Martin Perez, driving an 0-2 cutter 426 feet to left-center with an exit velocity of 112.6 mph. The towering shot marked his 43rd home run of the season and came during the Yankees’ 3-2 loss to Chicago.
When Judge returned to the dugout, manager Aaron Boone greeted him with a shout of “Yogi!” — a perfect tribute to the moment that connected two eras of Yankees greatness.
Judge matches a Yankees icon in record time
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The comparison between Judge and Berra reveals the extraordinary pace of the modern slugger’s ascent. Berra accumulated his 358 home runs over 7,555 at-bats during his legendary career, while Judge reached the same total in just 4,020 at-bats. Judge accomplished in 10 seasons what took Berra 18 years to achieve.
“When you get a chance to tie one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Yankees in homers, it’s pretty special,” Judge said after the game. “The way Yogi played the game, what he meant to these pinstripes, you knew how much it meant being a New York Yankee to him. I feel the same way. I’m honored to wear this jersey.”
Judge recalled seeing Berra during spring training in 2014 when he was still a prospect climbing through the system.
“He was a special individual,” Judge said. “A lot of the veteran guys talked highly of him. Probably some of their favorite memories were coming to spring training and having a chance to talk with him, just to hear some of his stories. They said he always had a smile on his face.”
Next up: DiMaggio and the legends ahead
Joe DiMaggio represents Judge’s next target at 361 home runs — just three blasts away. Given Judge’s recent surge, that milestone could arrive before September ends. The 33-year-old slugger has homered in back-to-back games in Chicago and collected three long balls in his past five contests.
But from there, the names only grow more historic and challenges too: Lou Gehrig (493), Mickey Mantle (536) and Babe Ruth (659).
Judge has already passed Alex Rodriguez’s Yankees total of 351 this season. Given his track record, the climb won’t stop with DiMaggio. After hitting a record 62 homers in 2022, Judge signed a nine-year, $360 million contract that runs through 2031. At an average of 30 to 40 home runs per year, he could realistically pass Gehrig and Mantle before the deal ends. Challenging Ruth would take sustained production and health, but Judge has positioned himself within range of every Yankee ahead of him.
Metrics that back up the power
Judge’s power is backed by elite data. Statcast metrics show his average exit velocity at 95.1 mph, with more than half of his batted balls classified as hard-hit and nearly a quarter barreled – the ideal blend of speed and launch angle. His expected weighted on-base average sits at .448, placing him among the league’s very best.
Baseball-Reference tracks him with a .324 batting average, .43 homers, 443 on-base percentage, and .674 slugging percentage through August, good for a 1.117 OPS. FanGraphs ranks him near the top in wRC+ and WAR again this season, cementing his status as one of the game’s most complete hitters.
His efficiency at the plate remains unmatched. Judge maintains an at-bats-per-home-run ratio of 11.3, ranking third in major league history behind only Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth. That remarkable consistency suggests he could continue scaling the Yankees chart faster than any slugger before him.
Judge’s 2024 season has already produced 58 home runs and 144 RBIs in 158 games, earning him his second MVP award. The sustained excellence positions him for continued ascent through the franchise record books.
Average exit velocity: 95.1 mph
Hard-hit rate: 55.5 percent
Barrel rate: 24 percent
Expected weighted on-base average (xwOBA): .448
Projecting Judge’s career total
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
The bigger question is where Judge’s career homer total will land by the end of his Yankees contract in 2031. At age 33, and signed for six more full seasons, steady health would allow him to pile up numbers at a historic rate.
Conservative projections suggest Judge could average 35 home runs annually over his remaining contract years. That pace would add approximately 210 homers to his total. That would put him around 568 homers, comfortably ahead of Gehrig (493) and Mantle (536), and leaving Ruth’s 659 in sight.
A more aggressive projection of 40 homers per year could bring Judge within striking distance of Ruth’s 659. That would require sustained health and production, but Judge’s track record suggests both remain achievable.
Judge’s at-bats-per-home-run ratio adds fuel to the projections. At 11.3 AB per homer, he ranks third all-time behind only Mark McGwire and Ruth. That efficiency means that, unlike many sluggers, Judge doesn’t need as many plate appearances to reach lofty totals.
Focused on championships, building legacy
Despite the individual milestone, Judge remained focused on team goals after Sunday’s loss.
“The most important thing is trying to get a win,” he said. “So not getting that kind of stings. But when you have a chance to tie one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Yankees in homers, it’s pretty special.”
The Yankees entered Sunday winners of seven straight games and 12 of their last 15, suggesting a late-season surge toward the playoffs. While Berra collected 10 World Series championships during his career, Judge and the Yankees fell short last year, losing to the Dodgers in the World Series.
Judge’s pursuit of individual records carries deeper meaning as part of the Yankees’ championship aspirations. Every swing represents both personal achievement and team advancement toward the ultimate goal of World Series glory.
What Judge learned from Yogi
Judge’s respect for Berra extends beyond the home run totals. Asked for his favorite Yogi-ism, Judge smiled and referenced the classic line: “It ain’t over till it’s over is a pretty good one. But he was more than that. He was a fantastic baseball player. Ten World Series. That’s what we’re all chasing.”
The connection between past and present Yankees greats represents more than statistical achievement. It embodies the franchise’s culture of excellence and the weight of wearing pinstripes in the Bronx.
As Judge continues his climb toward DiMaggio, Gehrig, Mantle, and potentially Ruth, each home run adds another chapter to a legacy already secured among Yankees immortals. Whether he ultimately catches the Babe or not, Judge’s impact on franchise history is already undeniable — and still growing with every swing.
