New York – Yankees captain Aaron Judge delivered another historic performance Sunday in the Yankees’ 12-5 victory. He launched two home runs against the Athletics to reach 30 for the season and simultaneously etch his name deeper into baseball lore.
The Yankees captain’s offensive explosion marked multiple significant achievements that underscore his place among baseball’s all-time great sluggers.
Judge surpasses Yankees legend Lou Gehrig
Judge’s 44th career multi-homer game moved him past Lou Gehrig for the most such games in Yankees franchise history. The Iron Horse had held the record with 43 multi-homer games during his legendary 17-season career.
Judge now trails only Mickey Mantle (46) and Babe Ruth (68) on the franchise’s all-time list. Given his current pace, the Yankees captain could realistically challenge Mantle’s mark this season.
“It’s quite an honor,” the Yankees slugger said after tying Gehrig earlier this month. “Any time you get mentioned with those guys, what they’ve done in the game and the careers they’ve had, it’s pretty special.”
Judge’s historic pace before All-Star break
Judge has now reached 30 home runs before the All-Star Game for the fourth time in his career, joining Mark McGwire as the only players to accomplish this feat. His previous pre-break totals include 30 in 2017, 33 in 2022, and 34 in 2024.
According to MLB analyst Sarah Langs, Judge tied Babe Ruth for the most seasons with at least 30 homers before his team’s 85th game. The Yankees have played just 83 games, making this achievement even more remarkable.
Baseball historian John Thorn noted the significance of Judge’s consistency.
“What separates Judge from other power hitters is his ability to maintain this elite production year after year,” Thorn said. “Very few players in history have shown this kind of sustained excellence.”
Rare company in extra-base hit production
Aaron Judge became just the third player in MLB history to record at least 50 extra-base hits before July multiple times in his career. He joins Ken Griffey Jr. (1994, 1998) and David Ortiz (2004, 2016) in this exclusive club.
Judge currently leads the majors with a .354 batting average while ranking third in home runs with 28. His combination of power and average places him in historically elite company.
Current season of excellence
Judge entered Sunday’s game hitting .356/.458/.722 with an MLB-leading 222 OPS+ and 5.7 Wins Above Replacement. These numbers position him as the clear frontrunner for his third AL MVP Award in four seasons.
His 221 wRC+ ranks seventh all-time, and his production over his last 162 games shows a slash line of .366/.491/.773. The sustained excellence demonstrates Judge’s evolution into a generational talent.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone emphasized the slugger’s growth beyond just power numbers.
“His ability to stay healthy and play every day has been the biggest development,” Boone said. “He’s not stopping and starting constantly like in his early years.”
Breaking down the record-setting performance
Sunday’s multi-homer game was Judge’s fifth of the 2025 season. His 44 multi-homer games represent the most by any player through his first 1,076 career games, surpassing previous marks set by baseball legends.
The performance helped end a recent offensive drought for the Yankees, who had been shut out the previous day and struggled through a difficult June stretch.
“Maybe, but more from my teammates and what they were doing,” Judge said when asked if his first home run provided momentum for the offensive explosion.
Historical context and future milestones
Judge currently has 345 career home runs and is approaching several significant milestones. His rapid ascent up the Yankees’ record books reflects both his individual excellence and the franchise’s rich power-hitting tradition.
The Yankees captain has reached base multiple times in 50 of his 65 games this season, joining Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig as the only Yankees to accomplish this feat in the modern era.
Sports analyst Tim Kurkjian believes Judge’s current trajectory could lead to unprecedented achievements.
“We’re watching a player at the absolute peak of his powers,” Kurkjian said. “The combination of power, average, and consistency is historically rare.”
Looking ahead
Judge is on pace for 11.9 bWAR, a figure only five position players have achieved or surpassed. He has now notched five consecutive 30-plus homer seasons, the third-longest streak in Yankees franchise history since 1950, trailing only Mickey Mantle (eight) and Alex Rodriguez (seven).
As Judge continues his assault on Yankees and MLB record books, fans are witnessing one of the greatest individual seasons in recent memory. His ability to combine historic power production with elite batting average creates a unique player profile that echoes the game’s greatest legends.
The question now isn’t whether Judge will continue setting records, but rather which milestones he’ll reach next in what’s shaping up to be another MVP-caliber campaign.
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