Brewers legend picks Aaron Judge’s biggest obstacle to triple crown bid, and it's a 23-year-old rookie

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is among the favorites to claim the American League MVP title for a second year running after his red-hot start to the 2025 season.

The two-time MVP is dominating the batting charts this season with remarkable numbers. While he is contending for a Triple Crown (most home runs, highest average, and most RBIs), former Milwaukee Brewers legend Dan Plesac feels a rookie could be Judge's biggest obstacle to the accolade.

Judge is leading the charts in batting average, slashing a remarkable .396 for the season. However, Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson is hot on the Yankees star's trail with a .366 average.

Plesac said the ballpark in Sacramento, Athletics' temporary home, is more hitter-friendly, which enables the 23-year-old rookie to maintain a high average, with the Yankees captain's average expected to dip at some point later this season.

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While Judge has the best average in MLB, he trails Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh on the home run charts. Raleigh has 26 home runs compared to Judge's 23. The reigning American League MVP has the second most RBI in the league (55), behind Boston Red Sox star Rafael Devers' 57.

Aaron Judge laments loss against Red Sox despite record outing

The Yankees' captain had a strong performance against fierce rivals, the Boston Red Sox, in Sunday's series finale. Aaron Judge smashed two home runs to keep the Yankees' offense going.

It was his 43rd multi-home run game for the storied franchise, tying Yankees icon Lou Gehrig's record. However, the two-time AL MVP wasn't too proud of his record as his team lost the series decider.

“It would’ve been sweet if it was a win,” Judge said. “I try not to think about it; I’m just trying to do my job there. Anytime you get mentioned with those legends, it’s quite an honor, but it would’ve been sweeter to talk about after a win.”

Although Aaron Judge is trailing Cal Raleigh on the home run leaderboard, the Yankees superstar is expected to finish with the most home runs in the AL, mounting a strong case for a Triple Crown.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash