MLB insider compares Aaron Judge to 7x NL MVP
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been incredible with the bat this season. Judge hit .427/.521/.761 in April, leading all hitters in average, OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS.
However, it was still only the fourth-best month he has had throughout his career. His best came last May when he finished with an eye-popping 292 OPS+.
MLB insider Mark DeRosa said he was amazed by the slugger's consistency and compared him to seven-time NL MVP Barry Bonds.
"Judge's numbers are right there," he said on MLB Network. "We're watching peak Bonds [with] Judge every night. I just don't think we realize at times."
DeRosa's stats over the course of his last 154 games are on par with Bonds' 2001 season.
De Rosa also compared Judge to legendary point guard Magic Johnson. Johnson changed the game of basketball as a 6'9" point guard. At 6'7", Judge is one of the tallest position players, but he does not move like a big man.
"On a nightly basis, I have watched Aaron Judge for the better part of three years dominate the sport offensively. I also think guys who do it different, like first time you saw Magic Johnson. Someone that can play point guard and move like that at that size," said DeRosa.
MLB Central crew calls Yankees captain Aaron Judge 'underpaid'
Ahead of the 2023 season, Aaron Judge tested out free agency. He met with a couple of teams, but he ultimately chose to re-sign with the Yankees on a nine-year, $360 million contract, the largest free agent deal at the time.
That has since been shattered by Shohei Ohtani and then Juan Soto's contracts. When compared to those, Judge's contract certainly seems lacking, which the MLB Central crew pointed out.
"He's getting underpaid," said Robert Flores.
However, the crew did acknowledge that these contracts were all based on timing. It would be interesting to see what Judge's value would be if he were heading into free agency following the 2025 season.