Aaron Judge has etched his name into the record books once again.
The Yankees captain wrapped up his first career batting title Sunday afternoon, finishing the year hitting .331 — which led the majors by 20 points — to go with 53 home runs, punctuating what could be another MVP season.
“I’m just trying to do my job, that’s what it comes down to,” Judge said after going 1-for-4 in Sunday’s 3-2 win over the Orioles. “It’s special, but more work to be done.”
Judge became only the third player in MLB history to hit at least 50 home runs and win a batting title in the same season, joining Mickey Mantle and Jimmie Foxx. His 53 home runs are the most of any player who has won a batting title.
Aaron Boone presented Judge with a game ball after the win and listed off names like Tony Gwynn, Rod Carew and Wade Boggs, telling him he was now in that company.
“Those are legends of the game that’ll be talked about forever,” Judge said. “Getting a chance to be with that group is something I don’t take lightly.”
Judge secured the title by hitting .374 over his final 30 games as he rounded back into form after coming back from a flexor strain that cost him 10 games.
“Pretty cool just to see him finish the way he did,” Boone said. “After going on the IL, scuffling a little bit — by his standards — for the first couple weeks when he came back off the IL. He really helped carry us down the stretch this final month. Excited for him.”
Judge became the first Yankee to win a batting title since DJ LeMahieu — who he had already received a text from postgame — in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and the first Yankee to do it in a full season since Bernie Williams in 1998.
Whether Judge did enough to fend off Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh for the AL MVP will be announced in November.
And before then, he has an important October looming after too many playoff runs when his regular-season bat did not carry over to the playoffs.
But for now, he finished the year with a 1.145 OPS — 131 points higher than the next-closest hitter, Shohei Ohtani — while becoming only the fifth player in the expansion era to lead the majors in batting average, on-base percentage (.457) and slugging percentage (.688).
Judge is no stranger to making history with his slugging, but becoming a batting champion is a particularly meaningful feat for him because of how much he values batting average in a sport that has largely devalued it over the years.
To explain why, Judge pointed to the fourth inning Sunday, when he led off with a single and eventually came around to score the tying run on another single from Giancarlo Stanton.
“If I’m up there trying to do damage or do something else, I don’t start a little rally there and help the team,” he said. “So I just think trying to be a good hitter is infectious, it’s contagious. One hit leads to another and it equals more winning.”
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