Yankees’ Aaron Judge Joins Two Legendary Sluggers in MLB History Books

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge became just the third player in MLB history to reach this rare combination of home runs, doubles, walks and RBIs.

Sep 13, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates while running the bases after hitting a grand slam home run during the seventh inning against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge blasted a go-ahead grand slam to lift his team to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday, but his five-pitch walk in the first inning also played a significant role in adding his name to an exclusive list in MLB history.

The walk marked Judge’s 120th of the 2024 season, while the grand slam pushed his RBI total to 130. According to Katie Sharp of Sports Reference and Talkin' Yanks, Judge became just the third player in MLB history to record at least 50 home runs, 30 doubles, 120 walks and 130 RBIs in a single season. The only others to accomplish the feat are Barry Bonds in 2001 and Babe Ruth, who did it in both 1920 and 1921. 

Players with 50+ HR, 30+ 2B, 120+ BB, 130+ RBI in a season in MLB History:

Aaron Judge (2024)
Barry Bonds (2001)
Babe Ruth (1920, 1921)

— Katie Sharp (@SharpStats17) September 14, 2024

Judge, 32, enters Saturday hitting .321/.455/.688 with 52 home runs, 33 doubles, 120 walks, and 130 RBIs through 146 games. His grand slam ended a 75 plate-appearance homerless streak, the longest of his career. During the 16-game stretch, Judge posted a .207/.352/.259 line with just three doubles and four RBIs. While the slump cooled his pace for a second 60-homer season, he remains on track to finish with 56 home runs, with 14 games left to pad his numbers. 

Captain. Clutch. Grand. Slam.#ALLRISE pic.twitter.com/VBZxeP8cIW

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 14, 2024

The last season comparable to Judge’s came from Bonds, who had already far surpassed 60 home runs by this point in 2001. Bonds finished with 73 home runs that year, the most in MLB history. He also drew a whopping 177 walks, hit 32 doubles, and drove in 137 RBIs. Ruth’s comparable seasons came during his first two years in pinstripes, in which he totaled 113 home runs, 80 doubles, 295 walks and 303 RBIs over 294 games. 

Like Bonds in 2001, Judge is the heavy favorite to take home MVP honors, which would be the second time he has won the award in his career. Ruth, however, never won the award during his historic 1920 and 1921 seasons, as the MVP did not exist at the time. The Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) first handed out the MVP in 1931, awarding it annually to one player from each league. Prior to that, the American League had introduced an MVP trophy in 1922, and the National League followed suit in 1924, though both were discontinued by decade's end. The BBWAA’s version allowed players to win multiple times, unlike earlier versions. 

Judge’s primary competition for this year’s AL MVP is Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., who leads MLB with a .332 batting average. However, like Judge, Witt has cooled off recently, hitting just .222 with one home run and three RBIs in September. As of Saturday morning, Judge holds a slight edge over Witt in both bWAR and fWAR. Judge, however, dominates in several other key offensive categories, including home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and wRC+.