Get ready for an exciting baseball season, folks, because Aaron Judge is on a historic home run streak!
Judge, the reigning back-to-back AL MVP, is currently leading the American League in home runs and is on track for his fifth 50-homer season. That's right, five! An unprecedented feat in the world of baseball.
The Great Right-Handed Hitter
Judge's dominance is not a recent phenomenon. His place in baseball history was assured years ago with his 52-homer rookie season in 2017. Since then, he's been on a tear, consistently delivering excellent to all-time great performances. In my opinion, he's the greatest right-handed hitter the game has ever seen, and his stats back that up.
What makes this particularly fascinating is that Judge's late-career years, which could potentially show a decline, are yet to be factored into his impressive numbers. He's the best-ever right-handed batter up to the age of 34, and there's no sign of slowing down just yet.
On Pace for History
With 16 home runs in the first 48 team games, Judge is on pace for a 54-homer season. Now, I know what you're thinking - pace stats in May can be misleading. But when you consider that Judge has already achieved this feat four times, including the last two seasons, it's not an unreasonable expectation.
No player has ever hit 50 home runs in five different seasons. Not even the legendary Henry Aaron or Barry Bonds. It's an exclusive club with only 34 members, and most of them did it just once. Judge is in a league of his own, and if he reaches this milestone again, he'll be the only hitter with five 50-homer seasons under his belt.
Signs of Decline?
As Judge celebrates his 34th birthday, the question on everyone's mind is whether we'll see any signs of decline this season. Personally, I think the answer is a cautious 'no'. His batting average has dipped slightly, but who cares about a few singles when you're blasting 50 homers? His strikeout rate is up a bit, but it's not a significant enough increase to worry about.
The bat speed is still there, and his hard-hit rate and barrels per batted ball rate are elite. In other words, Judge is still a force to be reckoned with. Sure, the time will come when he slows down, but it doesn't seem to be this year or next.
The Future is Bright
So, what does this mean for Judge's future? Well, it's hard to predict with certainty, but one thing is for sure - he's going to keep hitting those homers. He's been doing it consistently for a decade now, and there's no reason to believe it will stop anytime soon.
In my opinion, Judge is on track to become the first hitter with five 50-plus homer seasons, and we might even be talking about that sixth season a year from now. Nothing is guaranteed, but with Judge's track record, it's a safe bet.
So, baseball fans, buckle up and enjoy the ride as Aaron Judge continues to rewrite the record books!
