May 9, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) advances to third base during the seventh inning of the game against the Athletics at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
The New York Yankees dropped the second game of their weekend set out west against the Athletics on Saturday, 11-7. But for superstar outfielder Aaron Judge, even losses are sometimes overshadowed by his greatness.
This was on full display Saturday, as Judge's two-homer performance gave him 14 on the year, the most blasts in the MLB which further solidified his early AL MVP case.
Judge's 42nd career multi-homer game was also so impressive that even the Athletics fans in attendance couldn't help but stand up and applaud as he rounded the bases following his second deep shot of the contest.
The opposing fans didn't stop there, though, as a loud chorus of "MVP" chants could clearly be heard echoing around the ballpark as Judge crossed home plate.
It's clear the California native still holds some serious sway out west, even among opposing AL fanbases.
It's also hard to argue with the campaign he's putting together.
Through his first 39 games, Judge is leading the entire MLB in batting average (.396), OPS (1.258), home runs (14) and RBI (34).
He is also the current MLB leader in both bWAR (3.0) and fWAR (3.4).
Elite production is nothing new for two-time AL MVP award winner, but the pace he's on in 2025 has exceeded even his own lofty standards.
For reference, Judge's current OPS is over .150 points higher than his mark at the end of last season, a mark that also topped the MLB en route to his second AL MVP.
It just seems like every time the bar has reached it's limit, Judge finds a way to raise it just a bit higher in a way that only he is capable of doing.
That's why he's already separated himself from the rest of the pack in the MLB.
At this point, it looks like the only person that can keep Judge from repeating as MVP is Judge himself. If he can keep up this torrid pace, then not only will the award not be up for debate, but he'll have also put together one of the greatest seasons in MLB history.
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