NEW YORK — The piece of paper is at least 40 years old. It carries a signature from a Yankees legend who died in 1985. And when Aaron Judge was asked to add his name underneath, the three-time MVP hesitated but gladly complied.
Topps has created something never before seen in the MLB history. The card company is releasing a dual autograph featuring both American League single-season home run record holders on the same card. Judge and Roger Maris will share space on a true one-of-one piece in the upcoming Topps Five Star product.
Someone will own the only card in existence pairing two of the greatest sluggers in Yankees history. No variations. No parallels. Just one card connecting generations of Bronx Bombers power.
Judge approaches the signing with reverence
Video released by Topps shows the moment Judge put pen to the historic document. The Yankees captain can be seen nervous, even asking the Topps representative if he was sure he wanted Judge to sign this piece of history.
The gravity of the moment was not lost on Judge. He understood what that paper represented. Maris signed it decades ago, never knowing it would one day sit alongside the signature of the man who would break his record.
Judge broke Maris’ American League record in 2022, hitting 62 home runs. That single swing against the Texas Rangers on October 4 ended a record that had stood for 61 years. Now the two players who held that mark will forever share a single piece of cardboard.
The Yankees burden Maris carried in 1961
Roger Maris never expected what happened during the 1961 season. Coming off his first MVP campaign in 1960 with the Yankees, he was surrounded by legends. Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Bill Skowron filled the lineup. The American League had expanded from eight to ten teams. The schedule grew from 154 games to 162.
Maris and Mantle pushed each other toward Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs. The pressure was immense. Maris’ hair fell out in clumps from the stress. Commissioner Ford Frick announced that any record set in more than 154 games would carry an asterisk, a shadow that followed Maris for decades.
Mantle suffered an infection and faded from the chase. Maris stood alone. On October 1, 1961, he crushed his 61st home run against the Boston Red Sox on the final day of the season. He won his second consecutive MVP award but paid a heavy personal price for the achievement.
Maris retired at 33 after 12 major league seasons. He hit 275 career home runs and won three World Series rings, two with the Yankees and one with the Cardinals. In 1983, he was diagnosed with cancer. He passed away in December 1985 at just 51 years old. The Yankees retired his number 9 in 1984.
Judge writes his own Yankees chapter in pinstripes
Aaron Judge has already cemented his place among Yankees royalty. In just 10 seasons, the 6-foot-7 outfielder has amassed 368 home runs and a .294 career batting average. He has finished in the top five of MVP voting five times and brought home the hardware three times.
Judge won his third MVP in November 2025, joining Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees to win the award three times. He led the majors in batting average with a .331 mark, capturing his first batting title. He became the fifth player in the expansion era to lead MLB in average, on-base percentage, and slugging in the same season.
The seven-time All-Star has hit 50 or more home runs four times in his career. Only Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa have accomplished that feat. Judge and Ruth are the only Yankees to post consecutive seasons of 50 or more home runs.
Judge was named captain of Team USA ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. He signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees in December 2022, committing his prime years to the franchise.
What makes this card unprecedented
Topps Five Star released on December 29, 2025. The product features numerous premium autographs and relics. But the Judge and Maris dual cut signature stands alone as the crown jewel.
The concept required Topps to locate an authentic Maris signature on paper that could accommodate Judge’s addition. Cut signatures from deceased players have appeared in the hobby before. Pairing them with active stars on the same physical document is exceptionally rare.
The product also features other Yankees content. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Don Mattingly, Jorge Posada, Joe Torre, and Hideki Matsui all have autographs in the set. Cut signatures from Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Bill Dickey, and Don Larsen offer collectors chances at more Yankees legends.
Additional dual autographs pair Max Fried with Ben Rice, Derek Jeter with CC Sabathia, and Judge with Barry Bonds. Those cards are numbered to 10. The Judge and Maris card exists only as a single copy.
More than just a cardboard
This card represents something larger than the hobby. It connects two men who never met but share an unbreakable bond in baseball history. Maris held the American League home run record for 61 years. Judge now carries that standard.
When Judge passed Maris in 2022, members of the Maris family were in attendance at Yankee Stadium. They embraced Judge and welcomed him into an exclusive club. Roger Maris Jr. has spoken publicly about his support for Judge holding the record.
From one Yankees legend to another, this piece of cardboard transcends sports memorabilia. It represents baseball and American history. Whoever pulls this card from a pack will own a tangible connection between two of the greatest power hitters to ever wear pinstripes.
The question now is simple. Who will be the lucky collector to own the only card ever made featuring signatures from both American League home run kings?
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
