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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 14: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates his three-run home run, his 300th career home run, with teammates in the dugout during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 14, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

New York Yankees’ captain Aaron Judge recently passed Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman on the active WAR leaderboard. 

The only two players who rank above Judge currently are Mookie Betts (75.3) and Mike Trout (89.5). Judge surpassed Freeman while only playing in 53.5% of the games he has played, via BaseballWRLD_.

MLB World Reacts to Aaron Judge’s Phenomenal Start

@BaseballWRLD_: “Aaron Judge has surpassed Freddie Freeman on the active career War leaderboard. Aaron Judge has played in 53.5% of the games Freddie Freeman has.”

Ryan M. Spaeder: “#Yankees Aaron Judge is on pace for 138 runs, 63 home runs, 119 RBI, and 10.3 WAR. If he maintains his pace exactly… he has his FIFTH best season in terms of OPS.” 

Mike Salvatore: “The Yankees rotation has rightly gotten a lot of the credit so far this season, but don’t sleep on the fact that Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, and Ben Rice are in the top 10 for WAR and OPS+ in the AL.”

@RobBballHistory: “Aaron Judge recorded his 849th career Walk, passing Hall of Famers Adrián Beltré, Gary Carter and Minnie Miñoso and moved into a tie with Wally Schang and Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk for 222nd on the All Time Walks list.”

Jomboy: “Here’s an interesting split of Aaron Judge’s season that ultimately means nothing, but we’ve noticed it on the podcast, so I thought I’d share. He has been amazing in the first inning. If he gets a hit in the first inning, he’s been neutralized the rest of the game. If he doesn’t get a hit in the first inning, then he’s coming for you later on. I’ve never looked into this for any other player, so maybe it’s one of those things that’s just normal. Again, it doesn’t mean anything. Ultimately, it means Judge is doing damage in most games, which is great.”

The Yankee Captain is Having Another Incredible Season

Judge, already a three-time MVP, is on pace to compete for a fourth. It would make him only the third player ever to record four or more MVP seasons, joining the likes of Shohei Ohtani (4) and Barry Bonds (7). 

In 41 games, Judge has already smacked 16 home runs, posted 2.6 Baseball Reference WAR, and has an OPS of 1.043. In addition to his monster performance at the plate, Judge has been an above-average fielder with an elite arm. The questions that arose from his arm injuries in past years have most certainly been answered. The Judge deems runners out. 

Another historic milestone he finds himself approaching is the proverbial ‘50-burger.’ If the Captain sends 50 or more balls over the wall this season, he would become the first player ever to record five separate seasons with 50+ bombs. That kind of power production is unprecedented for anyone other than THE Bronx Bomber. 

Judge is a staple in modern baseball. His prolific power has led the Yankees’ teams as far as the World Series since his breakout rookie campaign. The modern-day legend has a due date with Cooperstown; all he needs now is a ring to solidify his legacy in New York.