Aaron Judge will take home another award this season, as the Yankees’ three-hole hitter was named AL Player of the Week again. The slugger smoked seven home runs in six games and was a force at the plate, continuing to make a case for being the runaway 2024 AL MVP despite the incredible season Bobby Witt Jr. is having. A generational hitter who is having the greatest season by a right-handed hitter in MLB history, Judge has been even better than he was in his historic 2022 campaign, and he could look to break his record again in 2024.
The Yankees are sitting pretty atop the American League East, and they can mostly thank Aaron Judge for guiding the top offense in the American League in both Runs Scored and wRC+.
Aaron Judge Adds Another Player of the Week Award, Yankees Witnessing History
With a 226 wRC+ and a 1.202 OPS, Aaron Judge is having the kind of season we may never see again in pinstripes, as he’s gunning for the best offensive season by a right-handed hitter ever. This past week was just what Aaron Judge is accustomed to doing, as he hit .318 with a 1.429 SLG% (not a typo), smashing seven home runs over that stretch and continuing to establish himself as the best player in the game.
His offensive success has been remarkable, but what’s even crazier is that during that week when he was tearing the cover off of the baseball, he didn’t strike out one time. In fact, over his last 13 games, Judge has more homers (10) than strikeouts (7), and he’s running the lowest strikeout rate of his career (23.4%). What he’s accomplished offensively cannot be understated, and where the team goes in October is determined by how much of this translates in that environment.
It’s been a season of historic dominance for the 2022 AL MVP, who could be putting the finishing touches on another MVP campaign. Like in 2022 though, he faces stiff competition in Bobby Witt Jr. who has both an elite glove at shortstop and an excellent bat at the plate. Aaron Judge is the current favorite to win the award given his lead in WAR, wRC+, OPS, and various other traditional and analytical metrics, and I expect it remains that way.
This is simply one of the best seasons we have ever seen offensively, and I’m not entirely sure we’ll see anything like this again in our lifetimes. No right-handed hitter (min. 500 PAs) has ever had a wRC+ even above 215; the fact that Aaron Judge could challenge for a 230 is just bonkers. He’s a once-in-a-generation talent, and the Yankees get to witness that live every day.
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