What if we were to tell you that a Yankees star is on the edge of pulling off a stat line we haven’t seen in over two decades? It’s been two weeks into the season, and we already have a take that is straight out of a baseball fantasy world. But hang in there; it’s about to shift back to reality. It’s also true that most teams have appeared in only a dozen games till now, which isn’t enough to make bold declarations already. But if you hear it from an MLB expert, it will probably leave you stunned.

The center of that prediction? It’s none other than Aaron Judge. According to ESPN’s Paul Hembekides—premier analyst—Aaron Judge will record a .500 on-base percentage this season. Sounds unattainable? Maybe. But to put things in perspective, it’s true that after Barry Bonds, nobody has hit that mark since 2004 in MLB. On the other hand, in the American League, Mickey Mantle in 1957 and Josh Gibson, the right-handed hitter in 1943, were the last ones to pull it off.

Well, even Judge is no ordinary hitter. He has posted a remarkable .458 OBP in the previous season. Not to mention, post his all-star break, he logged a record-breaking .496 over 62 games. As Juan Soto won’t be clogging up first base, Judge is on the verge of joining the historic company. For now, it looks like he’d walk more this season. In 2024, he summed up 133 walks. 

And the first one to achieve that? It’s none other than the Yankees’ all-time great, Babe Ruth.

If we were to take any hint from the metrics, umpires are giving him more favorable calls at the bottom of the zone. Throughout Judge’s career, he has never failed to carve his name among the most iconic figures in the history of baseball. So naturally, by now it won’t be surprising if he joins the historic company of Bonds, Mantle, and Gibson.

Aaron Judge is bound to step up to save the Yankees from pitching crisis

For the New York Yankees, their opening season act has been all about injury setbacks piling up one after the other. From Gerrit Cole, who has been sidelined for a whole year, to Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt, who still remain out—the Yankees rotation was in shambles. And just when it matters the most, the Yankees have Aaron Judge to the rescue.

Recently, against the Detroit Tigers, the Yankees finally had that breakthrough. They finally broke the three-game losing streak with a hard 4-3 win over the Tigers. Max Fried delivered a stellar show on the mound with seven innings of five hits and 11 strikeouts. And then Judge made sure his presence was felt, driving in two crucial runs along with Ben Rice. And just like that, the Yankees now stand at 7-5.

Finally, they were able to take a sigh of relief. But honestly, they are still in a tough spot. According to the insiders Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, “They feel like they’re just one starting pitcher injury away from being in serious trouble, no matter how good the offense is.” It’s definitely harsh but undeniably true. And it’s the reason why the Yankees have to rely heavily on their offense.

Let’s not forget, their last three starters had a combined 7.0 ERA. And that’s exactly why it puts Judge and the rest of the lineup in a tough spot till their pitching staff finds rhythm.