The New York Yankees may not be playing their best baseball, but Aaron Judge, once again, is on course to hit over 60 homers this season. With 35 home runs in the first half of the season, the Yankees’ Captain just became the fastest-ever [1,088 games] to smash 350 home runs in the league, beating Mark McGwire’s record [1,280 games] by a significant margin.

Judge also became only the fourth player to reach 350 home runs while wearing the Pinstripes, joining a legendary company of Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and his current teammate Giancarlo Stanton. Yes, Cal Raleigh, who has also smoked 38 homers this season, is having a phenomenal season, but if you see the overall offense, Judge is well ahead of anyone in the entire league, boasting a .355 average, 81 RBIs, and 125 hits. So, it was not surprising when his All-Star teammate was all praise with a stunning take during the Midsummer Classic.

Oakland Athletics hitter and his teammate in the recently concluded All-Star Game, Brent Rooker, called Judge ‘underrated.’ “We get asked all the time, ‘Who do you think the most underrated player in the league is?’” Rooker said. “It’s a ridiculous answer, but I think Judge may be the most underrated player in the league. I think a lot of people don’t fully appreciate what he’s able to do.”

It’s a feeling widely shared in the league, including by those who know him best. Tyler Wade, a former teammate, calls him “the best right-handed hitter of our generation.” He cheers how Judge managed the New York spotlight with unmatched humility. Catcher Kyle Higashioka remembered how a miserable 2016 debut motivated Judge to totally overhaul his swing. He simply didn’t want to be just another player; he wanted to maximize his limitless potential.

His opponents have not missed this evolution. Orioles veteran Charlie Morton has seen Judge evolve now, “just as satisfied being an on-base threat” as he is hitting homers. Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet said scouting reports on Judge are a sea of red, meaning he has no weaknesses. “He’s so big and he’s off the plate, so you’d think that you can get him out away, but because he’s so long, he can get to that pitch away,” former teammate Michael King said. It backs pitchers into an impossible corner against a hitter with no weaknesses.

His peers are in unanimous agreement: they are watching something really, really special. “It’s probably the closest thing to a modern-day Barry Bonds type of season,” Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter said. That wide-eyed comparison to the most feared hitter in baseball wasn’t hyperbole; it was statistically justified.

Aaron Judge vs. Barry Bonds: A tale of two titans

It seems outrageous to compare anyone to Barry Bonds, but Aaron Judge’s performance warrants it. How they became dominant, however, is different. Bonds had complete control of the strike zone: a mad-12% career strikeout rate. Pitchers were simply afraid to throw him a strike, resulting in historic walk totals, 120 in a single season(2004). Judge’s greatness, in contrast, comes from maximizing damage. He’s just got the swing and miss more, but his contact efficiency is through the roof. He was the fastest player in the history of baseball to hit 350 home runs, which was proof that he converts his chances at a rate no one else ever has.

When you consider their peak seasons, the similarities become even more striking. Bonds put up otherworldly numbers from 2001 through 2004, with an OPS+ that never sank beneath 231. Judge has had similar marks in 2022, 2024, and 2025 campaigns, with an OPS+ of 210, 223, and 228, respectively. Bonds still have the top numbers, but Judge has already joined him in that rarefied air. He’s crashed a conversation that for two decades was Bonds’ and Bonds’ alone.

Moreover, Judge is worth much more than his work in the batter’s box. He’s a legit elite defender in right field; he’s regularly in the positive concerning Outs Above Average. For a 6-foot-7 player, he’s quite an athlete. He does it all offensively and defensively, and as a leader, he will go down as one of the best. Even better: His career Wins Above Replacement, already nearing 60.0, confirms his status as one of the most valuable players in the entire sport, a true five-tool superstar.

And in the end, the numbers and the peer reviews tell a pretty clear story of a generation of talent. But, for the Yankees captain, these individual honors always take a backseat to the greater good. Judge himself put it best, saying: “I’d rather be in a good position in the playoffs and holding up a World Series trophy than holding up an MVP trophy.” That humility is the final piece of his historic legacy.