Few doubt that Aaron Judge is one of the best players in MLB right now, if not the best. In fact, he’s close to proving it again, as he is one of the heavy favorites for the American League MVP award.
Furthermore, he’s begun to reach historic milestones in his career, displacing all-time Yankees greats like Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio in terms of the most home runs by a member of the franchise.
For this reason, the conversation about Judge is no longer about his place within the current MLB scheme, but rather where he stands within the illustrious and extensive history of the New York Yankees. The word “legend” is increasingly beginning to be associated with his name.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a single against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on September 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a single against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning at Target Field on September 16, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Stephen Maturen/Getty Images
But at least one insider disagrees.
The New York Post’s MLB columnist, Joel Sherman, believes that, despite his Hall of Fame-like career, Judge still can’t quite stand up to the Yankees’ true legends.
“Was he a better player than Bernie Williams? Yeah, OK he was a better player than Bernie Williams. I’d rather have Bernie Williams’ career seven times a week, twice on Sunday,” Sherman said in a recent appearance on the “Pinstripe Post” podcast. “Like, championships matter and the guys who were at the very top of this, the (Babe) Ruth, (Lou) Gehring, (Joe) DiMaggio, (Mickey) Mantle, (Derek) Jeter, Whitey Ford, Mariano Rivera, like, these are guys who were not only champions but then in October performed.
“And Judge has not done that yet. He’s a guy who can get handled in the postseason.”
Judge certainly hasn’t lived up to expectations in October. In seven playoff appearances, he’s hitting just .205 with 16 home runs and 34 RBI in 58 games. This contrasts markedly with his devastating regular-season performances.
In the same interview, Sherman acknowledged that times have changed and that Judge doesn’t need to do the same as other all-time greats to enter in legends territory.
“He has a pretty good chance to win a third AL MVP, which Yogi did, which Mantle did, which DiMaggio did. But they did it all with championships tied to it,” Sherman said. “The pitching is ridiculous now. The velocity, the movement, the specified scouting reports on every hitter. But Judge needs an October to kind of get over the top.”
Judge will have another chance to shine in October, as the Yankees are very close to securing their playoff spot. Entering Thursday, they led the AL wild-card standings at 85-67, two games ahead of the Seattle Mariners.
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