The New York Yankees did not go into the All-Star Break leading the American League East. However, they are still considered contenders, in large part thanks to Aaron Judge.
The New York Yankees did not go into the All-Star Break leading the American League East. However, they are still considered contenders, in large part thanks to Aaron Judge.
Judge is having another MVP-caliber season. He is leading baseball in batting average, on-base percentage, OPS and hits. He leads the American League in walks and runs. He was named an All-Star this season for the seventh time in his career. This season is shaping up to be a historic one.
Judge has reached base safely 198 times this year. He has a chance to etch his name into an exclusive club. CBS Sports' Mike Axisa predicted he would reach base 350 times, joining Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth, Billy Hamilton and Ted Williams as the only players to ever do so.
"Judge is currently on pace to reach base 334 times, so this bold prediction has him picking up the pace in the second half," wrote Axisa. "I figure he'll get intentionally walked more often as the postseason races heat up and teams simply stop pitching to him. Judge has already been intentionally walked 24 times this season, 12 more than any other player, and the most since Mike Trout was walked 25 times intentionally in 2018. The intentional walks will go up and 350 times Judge will reach base safely."
There have been six seasons where a player reached base at least 350 times, per Axisa. Bonds did so in 1923 and 1921. Bonds achieved the feat twice as well, doing so in 2002 and 2004. Williams did it in 1949 and Hamilton in 1894. Ruth holds the record after reaching base 379 times in 1923.
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