With two MVPs under his name, Aaron Judge has shown what he is capable of. But the problem is the postseason, which is when Judge has struggled. His best seasons have been followed by some of his poorest postseason showings. During the 2017 postseason, he hit .191, including .050 in an ALDS victory against Cleveland. Judge hit .139 in nine games in 2022, including .063 without a home run during the Astros’ ALCS sweep. Even in 2024, Judge had the opportunity to change this reputation, but fate had the same plans. Ultimately, the Dodgers won and the Yankees lost. 

Still, one can’t ignore the numbers Aaron Judge does put up. The MLB network uploaded a video on X where former MLB players Adam Wainwright, Yonder Alonso, and Cliff Floyd shared their list of top 5 players. Where Alonso and Floyd had Judge on their list, Wainwright did not do that, and he explained why. Instead, he had players like Tarik Skubal and Bobby Witt Jr. Wainwright explained, “There are some guys that need talking about that don’t get talked about enough.”

When countered this list with a question that runs don’t mean anything, Wainwright said that not with Wheeler is on the mound you don’t need or when Skubal is on the mound you don’t need. “If they still let pitchers hit, they might hit a home run,” Wainwright said. He did not forget Judge, though. Wainwright said that if he has to put a top-five list of position players, Judge would be there every single time. However, pitchers, he said, do not get enough love, even though they are the greatest athletes on the field. 

How did Gunnar Henderson make it to the list? 

Gunnar Henderson was an absolute spark plug for the Orioles last season, lighting it up with a strong start in April and keeping his power numbers rolling through the summer. The numbers speak for themselves: over the first couple of months, he mashed .287 with 16 home runs, 34 RBIs, and added seven steals. But even when the second half hit, he didn’t totally fade, maintaining solid production with a .273 average, 40 runs, 9 homers, and 29 RBIs.  

What’s especially exciting is that his strikeout rate improved after the All-Star break, and his walk rate stayed solid, showing his maturity at the plate. The real juice behind Henderson’s upside is his elite batted-ball stats. His exit velocity (92.8 mph, 14th in MLB) and hard-hit rate (53.9%, 9th) set him up for more home runs, evidenced by a healthy HR/FB rate of 23.9%. Plus, his contact batting average sits at a sweet .376, and considering his minor-league numbers, we’re looking at a guy who could eventually flirt with a .400 mark.  

Looking ahead to 2024, things are lining up perfectly for Henderson to take the next step. If Jackson Holliday grabs the leadoff spot, Henderson could slide into a more protected spot in the lineup—say, third—giving him more RBI opportunities and a better chance to go off. With his tools and ceiling, he could challenge for a batting title and put up monster 120/40/120/40 seasons, similar to what Mike Trout has done, though with a slightly lower launch angle.

Do you think Henderson could be the next Mike Trout? Share your take below.