In MLB, there are good players, there are great ones. And then there is Aaron Judge, who’s in a league, head and shoulders above the rest. In the last century, the New York Yankees have produced players who have achieved a status of immortality. Be it Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, or Derek Jeter—each stalwart has left a legacy of their own. But it requires something herculean to surpass all of them, which Judge has just managed to pull off!

While each era has had its hero, Judge is undisputedly the best of the best in the present one. We all know about the accolades and the fame of this hitter. But what we didn’t know about was a crazy stat brought up by an MLB analyst recently. To think what it takes for a hitter to produce runs at a rate 107% above league average for a stretch longer than three seasons is bonkers. That’s generational talent and power right there!

Renowned MLB writer and insider, Jayson Stark, brought up a mindboggling stat. It denotes the magnitude of what Judge has been able to achieve. Interestingly, this stat wasn’t achieved in the history of the game for the last century! Yes, you read it right. 

“A 207 wRC+ — Can you comprehend how ridiculous it is to produce runs at a rate 107 percent above league average for a stretch that has gone on for longer than three seasons?” Stark wrote for The Athletic. 

Diving deep into the analysis, Stark revealed that before Judge showed up, no right-hander had managed to breach the 200 wRC+ mark threshold over any 450-game stretch since Rogers Hornsby. A fact which in itself is mindblowing.

The likes of Jimme Foxx, DiMaggio, and Miguel Cabrera have only managed to reach 180. While Willie Mays, Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, José Ramirez, and Mike Trout have managed to sneak into the 170-mark. However, to go on for over three seasons to surpass the 200+ mark is something unheard of on the diamond in the last century. 

“But to average 207 over three-plus seasons? You know how many right-handed hitters have even had one season with a 207 wRC+ in the last century, according to FanGraphs? Exactly one. Aaron Judge (218, last season),” Stark added. The stat may be trivial for the novice, but it is important to understand its significance. 

To appreciate just how rare this level of production is, it’s important to understand what makes wRC+ such a meaningful metric for hitters like Judge

Why does the stat matter for Aaron Judge? 

The wRC (Weighted Runs Created+) is one of the most comprehensive metrics. wRC+ measures a hitter’s influence in baseball. It factors in several parameters such as park factors, league averages, and run environment, and then normalizes to produce comparisons for hitters across eras.

More importantly, no other right-handed batter has managed to achieve the feat of crossing 200+ wRC even once in the last century. Let alone once. The Yankees captain has achieved the number for more than three seasons. This also means that the 33-year-old has been crushing deliveries with mathematical reliability. In an era where stars are made and undone within a short period, Judge has been the epitome of consistency, power, and plate discipline.

Historically, left-handed range hitters have dominated the game due to the pull advantage and shorter porches in the stadium. The Yankees icon defied all the odds to achieve the magical number as a right-hander. Even Trout, hailed as one of the greatest of the generation, wasn’t able to reach this level of sustained offensive game. Despite the plethora of analytics and data in the game, pitchers are yet to find an answer for the big-hitting righty.

If Judge’s unprecedented domination in the league continues for a few more seasons, he will soon be in the conversation for being amongst the top five batters of the sport ever produced.