Aaron Judge overtakes 2 Yankees icons in unique category, with only a Cardinals legend ahead

Aaron Judge is not only hitting for power, but he's making the most of his at-bats, putting balls in play at a very high level. Judge is hitting .392 this season, his highest batting average after 61 games in a season. But it's not his own benchmark that he's breaking, as his exceptional hitting has now placed him on an elite list.

On Thursday, according to MLB researcher Sarah Langs, Judge is now second all-time in batting average for players with 20 or more home runs in a team’s first 61 games of a season.

His .392 batting average puts him ahead of two New York Yankees icons — Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig — and behind only St. Louis Cardinals legend and Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby.

Here’s the exclusive list:

1925 Rogers Hornsby (Cardinals): .428
2025 Aaron Judge (Yankees): .392
1957 Mickey Mantle (Yankees): .389
1930 Lou Gehrig (Yankees): .386
1956 Mickey Mantle (Yankees): .379

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Passing legends like Mantle and Gehrig in a statistic that combines both contact and power is no easy feat. Mantle’s 1957 and 1956 seasons are often cited among the best in Yankees' history, while Gehrig’s 1930 campaign was one of the most productive in the annals of Major League Baseball.

Aaron Judge chasing magical .400 batting average not achieved since 1941

Hitting the "baseball" is hard; one can ask legends like Deion Sanders and Michael Jordan, and they'll say as much. To hit .250 is considered average, to hit .300 is impressive, hitting .350 is a big feat, and hitting .400 puts you in a place not achieved in MLB history since 1941, as Ted Williams is the last hitter to do so.

Aaron Judge is .008 away from achieving the magical figure. When Jim Rowson was asked if Judge can reach this figure, the MLB analyst said:

"If he does this, I mean, it's going to be astronomical numbers, right? But I wouldn't put it past him. There's nothing that I wouldn't say, 'Hey, this guy can't do.'

"I don't think he's striving for necessarily .400, but I think he's striving every day to be the best hitter that he can be. And that hitter can definitely do it. It's possible."

From the archives, Ted Williams once said that hitting .400 is the most difficult thing to do.

"In order to have that .400 a year, which is a wonderful year, everything has to fall in place," Williams said. "You get cycles of good hitting, good pitching, you know? Everything has to fall in place - good year, bad - everything has to come in place."

George Brett, in 1980, came close to breaking Williams' record by hitting .390. Only time will tell if Aaron Judge can better Williams' record in 2025.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Ruth John S