Last Updated on July 13, 2025 by Matt Musico
In today’s MLB, there are a handful of premier power hitters who can slug dingers a little better than the rest. But above that impressive group of players is Aaron Judge, who is proving to be in a class all by himself when it comes to hitting home runs.
The 33-year-old is on pace to once again surpass the 50-homer plateau. If he does, it will be the fourth time he reaches that milestone. Here are the first three occasions:
- 2017: 52 homers
- 2022: 62 homers
- 2024: 58 homers
But that’s not the annual tradition I’m talking about — at least not today.
Editor’s Note: New to MLB Daily Dingers? Then Start Here!
Aaron Judge Makes This Look Way Too Easy
Hitting 30-plus homers in a season is typically viewed as a powerful campaign. But reaching 30 before the All-Star break? That’s ridiculous. At the time of this writing, it’s a benchmark that’s only been reached 46 times in MLB history.
But after enjoying a two-homer performance on June 29 in the Bronx against the Athletics, Judge punched his ticket into this club for the fourth (!) time. That these occurrences align with his 50-homer seasons is unsurprising. However, it feels a little ridiculous that he’s done it three times over the past four seasons, right?
He had exactly 30 homers at the 2017 All-Star break during his AL Rookie of the Year campaign. But in 2022, he entered the midsummer classic with 33 homers and outdid himself last year by slugging 34 dingers.
This streak would probably be at four consecutive years right now had he not gotten hurt at Dodger Stadium at the beginning of June 2023. At the time of his injury, Judge had already slugged 19 homers on the season and was coming off a May in which he hit 12 homers.
But don’t worry, he still finished with 37 taters despite playing in just 106 games.
What if Judge Breaks the 50-Homer Plateau Again?
Judge is putting himself in a fantastic position to maximize his first-half homer production once again. He’s also giving himself an excellent chance to make another run at 50-plus dingers in the second half.
If the ginormous right-handed slugger pulls it off, what kind of historical implications will it have? Well, I’m glad you asked.
Getting to the half-century mark in 2025 would make it the fourth time he’s done it in his impressive career. That would put him in an extremely exclusive club. The only players who have slugged 50-plus homers in four seasons are Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa.
And since some people will automatically dismiss McGwire and Sosa because of their connection to performance-enhancing drugs, one would imagine many will consider Ruth and Judge to be head and shoulders above the rest.
The next question after that is: Can Judge turn around and do it again in the future to be in a club all by himself? We’re getting into risky territory for power hitters since Judge will be turning 34 during the 2026 season.
But then again, he’s not showing any signs of slowing down right now. If anything, he’s just finding ways to get better and become even more of a nightmare for opposing pitchers. So, it certainly seems like that accomplishment has a realistic chance of happening.
Especially if he keeps putting himself in a position at the All-Star break with 30-plus taters.
Love home runs? My Substack readers saw this before anyone else did. Sign up today and start getting interesting home run-related observations straight to your inbox!
