Aaron Judge isn’t just hitting well to start the 2025 season — he’s redefining dominance in pinstripes. The Yankees captain launched a go-ahead homer in the seventh inning of Tuesday’s win, sparking national attention on MLB Network, where Ryan Dempster didn’t mince words: “Judge is the greatest offensive player since who? Barry Bonds.”
The Yankees has a new Captain America — and his name is Aaron Judge
That comparison, once unthinkable, now feels grounded in data. Judge is batting .409 with a league-leading 1.322 OPS, and pitchers who dare to challenge him are learning the hard way — he punishes anything in the zone. Dempster even referenced Bonds’ legendary 2001 season, when he hit 73 home runs and drew 232 walks, noting, “That’s what Aaron Judge is doing right now. You throw it in the zone, you get hammered.”
But Judge’s offensive explosion is only part of a broader, more compelling story: this Yankees team might actually be better than last year’s.
Kevin Millar jumped in to broaden the comparison, placing Judge among the all-time great right-handed hitters. “Miguel Cabrera. Albert Pujols. Manny Ramirez,” Millar said. “This is different — this is Judge putting on a show every single day.”
That show is backed up by staggering numbers since the start of 2022. According to MLB, Judge leads the league with 164 home runs — 26 more than the next-best slugger. He also paces MLB in RBIs (371), OBP (.436), SLG (.679), and OPS+ (209). His 28.9 fWAR since Opening Day 2022 leads all position players by a wide margin, proving his impact isn’t just seasonal — it’s historic.
So why are pitchers still challenging him?
Dempster brought up Joe Maddon’s infamous series of intentional walks to a red-hot Bryce Harper, suggesting teams may soon need to do the same with Judge. “Why are you still throwing to Aaron Judge in tie games?” Dempster asked. “He’s in fuego.”
Yankees 2025: A more complete team, even without Cole
While Judge is putting up MVP-caliber numbers, the rest of the roster is quietly rounding into form. Derek Levandowski of Pinstripes Territory believes this year’s Yankees are better than last year’s — even with Gerrit Cole on the injured list.
“The lineup is deeper, and the defense is clearly better,” Levandowski said. He highlighted the emergence of Ben Rice at designated hitter, the improved defense at first and second base, and the speed Jazz Chisholm Jr. brings to the middle infield. Levandowski noted that while Cody Bellinger may not be Aaron Judge in center field, the team as a whole feels more balanced. “Right now, I’m optimistic,” he said. “If Judge is healthy in October, there’s no doubt this team can go farther than in 2024.”
Levandowski’s only hesitation? The pitching staff. “Pitching is so important that I find it hard to say yes without Gerrit Cole,” he admitted. He called for one more quality starter and a third-base upgrade to truly elevate the team’s October ceiling.
The Ben Rice factor: a new bat to build around?
While Judge grabs the headlines, Ben Rice has quietly become one of the most valuable bats in the lineup. The Dartmouth alum is hitting .300 with a 1.097 OPS, five homers, and 22 batted balls with exit velocities over 100 mph. Only Judge has a higher barrel rate across MLB.
His future, however, remains uncertain. Giancarlo Stanton is progressing from injury, and his return could squeeze Rice out of everyday reps. But Rice isn’t worried. “All I can do is focus on helping the team win every day,” he said. “I’m not thinking about what happens when Stanton comes back.”
Aaron Boone and Judge have both praised Rice’s approach, and the numbers back it up. Rice has reached base in 13 of 14 games with a plate appearance and leads the league with a 72% hard-hit rate. Whether he sticks at DH or becomes a platoon option, the Yankees would be hard-pressed to take his bat out of the order.
With Judge looking like a modern-day Bonds and the lineup supporting him in ways it hadn’t in recent years, the Yankees have quietly put the rest of the American League on notice. The bullpen is stable, the defense is improved, and reinforcements could be on the way.
It’s still April, and nobody wins a championship in spring. But if you’re betting on a team to rise in 2025, betting against the Yankees — and Aaron Judge — might just be a mistake.
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