Where does Aaron Judge's new contract rank among the biggest in MLB history?

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has ended the biggest drama of the offseason by deciding to resign from the only MLB team he has ever known. The contract is a historical deal for a historical player.

"AARON JUDGE IS STAYING" - @ Talkin' Yanks

Judge broke the widely accepted single-season home run record in 2022, blasting his 62nd home run of the season against the Texas Rangers in the final series of the season.

His 62nd blast beat the previously held record of 61 home runs, set by fellow Yankee Roger Maris in 1961 when Maris hit 61 home runs.

Aaron Judge agreed to terms with the Yankees for a contract worth $360 million over the next nine seasons. The deal comes after a lot of speculation, even predictions from MLB insiders, that Judge would sign with his hometown team, the San Francisco Giants.

The massive deal gives Judge an annual contract value of $40 million, the highest annual salary of any position player in history. The previously held record was Mike Trout's 2019 contract that will see the Los Angeles Angels outfielder earn about $34,5 million every season until 2031.

Although Aaron Judge is poised to make a mouth-watering amount, the contract does not top the list of highest annual salaries ever. Across the Hudson River from the Bronx, New York financier Steve Cohen is outdoing the Steinbrenners as the owner of the New York Mets.

Over the past two seasons, the Mets have been responsible for the two largest contracts in history. The first was dished out to Max Scherzer last season. Scherzer signed a three-year deal with the Mets for $130 million, earning an annual salary of $43.3 million.

"Justin Verlander has reportedly agreed to a 2-year, $86 million contract with the Mets" - @ Baseball Bros

The second such contract was given by the Mets to pitcher Justin Verlander earlier this month. Verlander signed a two-year deal with the Mets worth $86.6 million. This gives Verlander an annual contract value identical to Scherzer's.

Aaron Judge will be the face of the Yankees for the foreseeable future

Although Aaron Judge's contract does not top the likes of the aforementioned Mets pitchers, it is still monumental. At 31, Judge will hit like a legend for years to come, and the Yankees were able to claim all of that offense for themselves.