Yankees' Superstar Snags League Honors for Second Consecutive Month

The Yankees' generational slugger had one of the greatest months ever - for the second straight month.

Jun 25, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates his grand slam home run against the New York Mets with right fielder Juan Soto (22) and catcher Austin Wells (28) and outfielder Trent Grisham (12) during the eighth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge had one of the greatest months ever in May - and he did it again in June.

For the second straight month, the New York Yankees captain earned MLB honors as the American League's Player of the Month after hitting .409/.514/.864 with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, a .565 wOBA, and a 277 wRC+. The National League also had a repeat winner, as Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper received Player of the Month honors after previously winning in May.

Aaron Judge: .409 AVG, 1.378 OPS, 11 HR, 37 RBI
Bryce Harper: .374 AVG, 1.166 OPS, 17 XBH, 16 RBI

Your AL and NL Players of the Month for June presented by @Chevrolet! pic.twitter.com/4DQnsS1BPS

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2024

Even after having one of the greatest seasons in modern MLB history in 2022 - which included a new American League single-season home run record with 62 long balls - Judge is currently on pace to have the best season of his career and possibly shatter the AL single-season record again.

Over his past 50 games from May 4 to June 30, Judge has a .398/.507/.932 slash line, a .580 wOBA, a 288 wRC+, and a 1.440 OPS. In the modern era of baseball (since 1901), only four other players have had an OPS that high in a 50-game span, all of whom are among the greatest players in history: Babe Ruth (five times, 1920-1921, 1923-1924, 1930), Lou Gehrig (1936), Ted Williams (1941), and Barry Bonds (four times, 2001-2004). Judge is the only right-handed hitter out of those five players.

Judge's 37 RBI in June was also the most in that month since Sammy Sosa's famous June tear in 1998, when he drove in 40 runs.

Aaron Judge's 70 hits in his last 50 games during which he posted the highest OPS for any 50-game span by a right-handed hitter in MLB history. pic.twitter.com/VtGfxjxsCi

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 2, 2024

In addition to this absurd stretch of play that has completely mitigated a slow start in April, Judge is now in position to do something that hasn't been done in 68 years: win the Major League Triple Crown. New York's slugger leads all of Major League Baseball with a .321 batting average (alongside a .440 on-base percentage, .718 slugging percentage, and 1.158 OPS), 32 home runs, and 83 RBI. The last three Triple Crown winners (Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, and Frank Robinson in 1966) led their respective leagues in those three categories, but the most recent Triple Crown winner to lead the major leagues in all three categories is Yankees legend Mickey Mantle, who accomplished the feat in 1956.

If Tuesday's game against the Cincinnati Reds is any indication, Judge is still playing Hall of Fame-level baseball to begin July. He went 3-for-4 with his 32nd home run of the year. This is the third time in his career that he's hit at least 30 homers before the All-Star break.

32. #AllRise pic.twitter.com/fZZhYcdnvQ

— MLB (@MLB) July 3, 2024

Despite Judge's heroics, the Yankees have been in the middle of a severe slump; their loss to the Reds on Tuesday continued a stretch where they've lost 12 of their last 17 games. While Judge has been otherworldly, he can't carry the team all by himself.

The Bronx Bombers look to right the ship against the Reds on Wednesday night, as their captain hopes his legendary play will begin translating into wins.