Aaron Judge was doing just about everything to start the 2025 season. He went into Wednesday night’s game hitting .381 with a .494 on-base percentage, a .730 slugging percentage, and a 1.224 OPS. He’d scored 20 runs and driven in 21.
But for more than a week, one thing had been missing: a home run.
After going 10 consecutive games without a home run, Judge hit a solo shot to left-center field in the bottom of the seventh inning Wednesday night against the Kansas City Royals. According to Statcast, the ball traveled 383 feet and left his bat at 114 mph. It came off Royals reliever John Schreiber.
It was Judge's first home run since April 4 and his seventh of the season. The 10-game stretch without a homer was his longest since he went 16 games without one from Aug. 26 to Sept. 12, 2024.
But unlike in 2024, when Judge endured a slow start and didn’t hit his seventh homer until May, this season has been different.
The home run helped the Yankees secure a 4-3 win over the Royals. Judge entered the game batting .381 with a .494 on-base percentage, .730 slugging percentage, and a 1.224 OPS.
Judge’s homer came in a key spot, breaking a 3-3 tie in the seventh inning and giving the Yankees just enough to hold on. His timing and power looked more in sync than in recent games, where he had shown signs of progress but not results.
The Yankees entered the game as the American League leader in runs scored. They improved to 11-7 on the season with the win.
Judge has had a remarkable start to the 2025 season. Through 18 games, he is batting .409 with a 1.322 OPS, seven home runs, 12 extra-base hits, and 21 RBIs. His consistency has helped carry the Yankees' offense during the early stretch of the season.
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