PITTSBURGH -- As Aaron Judge continues to crush baseballs at a record pace, feats earning spots alongside the most gilded names in the sport¡¯s history, it is not difficult to squint and envision a day when the Yankees captain might be discussing those exploits in front of a sun-splashed audience in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Asked Friday if Judge¡¯s 1,000-game track record is already worthy of a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, Yankees manager Aaron Boone did not hesitate, calling it a ¡°no-brainer.¡± Others in his clubhouse feel similarly, but it¡¯s a conversation Judge is nowhere near ready to entertain.
"It¡¯s great praise, but I live in the present,¡± said Judge, who cracked a two-run homer in the Yankees¡¯ 9-4 win, helping to spoil the Pirates¡¯ home opener at PNC Park. ¡°We¡¯ve got things to do; I¡¯ve got a lot of work to do. We¡¯ll talk about that in a couple of years.¡±
Yet Judge¡¯s present-day achievements can fuel the discussion. With his seventh-inning blast off left-hander Tim Mayza, Judge has already tallied six home runs and 17 RBIs -- the most by any Major Leaguer in his first seven games of a season.
¡°Doing all right, kid, keep it up,¡± Boone said, with a smile. ¡°I think he¡¯s one of this generation¡¯s greatest players.¡±
Judge¡¯s 321 home runs are the most for any player through his first 1,000 games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The previous mark was held by Ryan Howard, who had 279 homers in his first 1,000 games.
Additionally, Judge¡¯s 321 home runs in 1,000 games match Babe Ruth¡¯s performance (321 home runs) over his first 1,000 games with the Yankees.
Earlier this week, Judge notched his 500th extra-base hit; Lou Gehrig (874 games) and Joe DiMaggio (853 games) are the only Yankees to do so in fewer games than Judge.
"Man, he is the best. There¡¯s no more words than that,¡± said infielder Oswaldo Cabrera. ¡°He is the GOAT, he is one of the best players ever. Not just because of his play; he¡¯s one of the best persons. He deserves everything that happens.¡±
Each day seems to bring more notable achievements, which is why Boone believes he is witnessing ¡°an all-time great career just [continuing] to unfold right in front of us.¡±
"It¡¯s incredible, just game in and game out, what he¡¯s able to do,¡± said left-hander Max Fried. ¡°He¡¯s able to change a game with one swing at any moment. ¡ It¡¯s as advertised. He¡¯s a great teammate, a great player. The great ones do it day in and day out. The consistency is there. To see what he does and the work he puts in, it makes sense.¡±
Judge tweaked his spring workload, hoping to avoid a slow start, and he seems to be reaping the benefits. A two-time AL Most Valuable Player (2022, ¡¯24), Judge did not log his sixth home run last season until his 29th game (April 28 at Milwaukee), finishing with a Major League-leading 58 home runs.
Where might he finish this season? It¡¯s anyone¡¯s guess, and though Judge¡¯s homer on Friday was hardly a deciding factor in the lopsided win, it did provide an echo of his past achievements.
In 2022, Mayza -- then with the Blue Jays -- surrendered Judge¡¯s 61st home run, which equaled Roger Maris¡¯ single-season American League record set in 1961. Judge soon eclipsed Maris to finish with 62, an important chapter that eventually may be part of a story told in the Hall¡¯s plaque gallery.
Already, reliable comparison tools like Jay Jaffe¡¯s JAWS system rate Judge as a potential Cooperstown inductee, even if he were to not have another at-bat -- which, of course, won¡¯t be the case. Judge¡¯s contract with the Yankees runs through the 2031 season.
"Right now, I¡¯m [thinking] about the game we just had,¡± Judge said. ¡°It¡¯s something we¡¯ll talk about down the road.¡±