Aaron Judge is again leading the New York Yankees with a season that places him in elite company. In 2025, Judge has gotten to 9.0 Wins Above Replacement (bWAR) per Baseball Reference, a feat that only the all-time great hitters in the sport's history have managed to sustain.
In the last five decades, only three other players have achieved at least three seasons of 9.0 or higher in bWAR: Mike Trout, Alex Rodriguez, and Barry Bonds. Bonds did it eight times, with Trout and A-Rod each doing it four.
Joining Baseball's Elite OPS+ Club
Judge is making waves not only in WAR. He is also going to post a second straight season with an OPS+ of at least 200, which normalizes on-base plus slugging for league and park effects. That achievement is virtually unprecedented, putting Judge in with the seven players in Major League Baseball history to achieve it.
Aaron Judge is now up to 9.0 bWAR entering play on Monday.
— nugget chef (@jayhaykid) September 22, 2025
He's the 4th player in the last 50 years to record 3 seasons with 9 WAR.
Barry Bonds: 8
Mike Trout: 4
Alex Rodriguez: 4
Aaron Judge: 3https://t.co/lcWNR4e2HS
The rest of the list consists of giants of the game: Babe Ruth, Rogers Hornsby, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, and Barry Bonds. To find Judge's name alongside theirs serves to emphasize the complete domination he has shown at the plate.
Historic Comparisons Cement Legacy
Whenever a player is uttered in the same breath as Ruth, Williams, and Bonds, greatness is implied. Judge's power, batting eye, and capacity to consistently create extra-base hits have placed him among the game's most respected hitters, according to Sporting News.
In contrast to most of the old-school names he is currently grouped with, Judge's achievements are achieved with an era of modern pitching, high velocity, and advanced defensive alignment, making his stats all the more impressive.
MVP Contest and Final Stretch
Judge is still right in the middle of the American League MVP contest with just one week remaining in the regular season. His top competitor, Cal Raleigh, has had a terrific season, but Judge's power and efficiency package has him a popular pick in the mix. Even if he doesn't win the award, his season is already one of the greatest in recent history.
Regardless of whether he collects a second MVP award on his mantle, Judge's 2025 season looks solid, and most fans agree he's one of the greatest hitters of his era.
Judge also tied A-Rod at 351 career home runs for the Yankees last July.
Originally published on sportsworldnews.com
