MLB insider boldly compares Aaron Judge to 7x NL MVP

New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has been incredible with the bat in his hands to start the season. The Captain hit .427/.521/.761 in the month of April, leading all hitters in average, OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS.

However, with the month he had, it was only the fourth-best month he has had throughout his career. His best came last season in May when he finished out the month with an eye-popping 292 OPS+.

He is a generational talent, even if he gets lost in the shadow at times with Shohei Ohtani. After watching him for years, MLB insider Mark DeRosa is still amazed at what the slugger can do.

"On a nightly basis, I have watched Aaron Judge for the better part of three years dominate the sport offensively. I also think guys who do it different, like first time you saw Magic Johnson. Someone that can play point guard and move like that at that size," said Derosa.

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DeRosa compares Judge to that of Magic Johnson. Johnson changed the game of basketball by being a 6'9" point guard. At 6'7", the Yankees slugger stands as one of the tallest position players, but he sure does not move like a big man.

"Judge's numbers are right there. We're watching peak Bonds [with] Judge every night. I just don't think we realize at times," he added.

DeRosa took it a step further and went on to compare Judge to that of Barry Bonds. His stats over the course of his last 154 games are right on par with the seven-time NL MVP during his 2001 season.

MLB Central crew calls Yankees captain Aaron Judge 'underpaid'

New York Yankees - Aaron Judge (Photo via IMAGN)

Ahead of the 2023 season, Aaron Judge tested out free agency. He met with a couple of teams, but he ultimately chose to re-sign with the Yankees. The two sides agreed on a nine-year, $360 million contract, the largest free agent deal at the time.

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That has since been shattered by Shohei Ohtani and then Juan Soto's contracts. When compared to those, Judge's contract certainly seems lacking, which the MLB Central crew pointed out.

"He's getting underpaid" said Robert Flores.

However, the crew does admit that these contracts are all based on timing. It would be interesting to see what Judge's value would be if he were heading into free agency following the 2025 season.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom