This past week Aaron Judge set the record as the fastest player to ever hit 300 home runs. Judge got to the magic number of just 955 games, which beat the previous record held by Ralph Kiner, who needed 1,087 games. Judge became just the 162nd player to reach 300, but the question remains how will history judge the captain?
When we begin to talk about greatness the discussion veers into a different category for the greats of the greats. With Aaron Judge he has cemented himself into that sort of conversation. When baseball historians begin questioning a man's Hall of Fame resume while he is still playing and just 32 years old, we are now in the territory of the greats of the game. But, how great is Judge, and more so how will he be perceived.
Aaron Judge didn't get the early call up like Ken Griffey Jr. or Juan Soto, who were called up to the majors at just 19 years old, he wasn't even called up in his early 20's. Judge became part of the Yankees at age 24 years old and didn't log more than 27 at bats in a season until he was 25 years old. That will hold him back in some areas of long term statistics. His injury history, missing 50 or more games, in 4 of his 7 seasons, will also hold back his counting stats. But, one thing is for sure and that is when he is on the field he has been one of the best, but could he be the best?
It's likely that Judge won't chase the all time home run record because of his age. He would need to average more than 50 home runs for the next 8 years, but 500 home runs is doable. Judge needs 200 home runs to get to that magical number. Assuming he plays until he is 40 years old he would only need to average just over 24 home runs per year.
It goes deeper still as home runs aren't the only measure of greatness. Judge looks like he is well on his way to a second MVP award, to go along with his Rookie of the Year. Awards and accolades are great but it's the comparison to the people he is playing against right now that should define Aaron Judge. One can argue that this is the hardest generation to be an offensive player in since the dead ball era. Batting averages are down, home runs suppressed and offense as a whole has to deal with pitching match ups never before seen. What Judge is doing is almost unthinkable. He has a shot at the tripe crown this year and likely will lead in most important offensive categories.
When we talk about the greatest players that many of us have watched, Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera, Arod, Griffey and of course Barry Bonds come to mind right away. (Yes, Gwynn and Ichiro were great pure hitters, but not the Judge type for this conversation). Consider the facts that Aaron Judge in just 9 seasons and under 1,000 games played has led the league in home runs, runs and RBI more than Barry Bonds did in his 22 seasons and just under 3,000 games. Miguel Cabrera also never led the league as many times in those three categories. Similar can be said about Albert Pujols who played 22 seasons and had over 3,000 games played, he also trails Judge in the amount of times he led the league in home runs and RBIs, while Griffey is behind in runs and RBIs as well, and Arod only led the league in RBIs twice.
When Judge hit #300 it was met with a lot of fanfare as it should have been, but not nearly enough. Despite the 'late' start into MLB we are watching potentially the greatest player we have seen in the past 50 years. There should be no doubt that the center fielder is the best player of this generation, it's now time to compare him to other generational greats. The Hall of Fame should already be locked up, now it's just a matter of where he will stand among the greats of the greats.