Why Aaron Judge Can Win the Triple Crown in 2025
This is a record that signifies a true all-around elite hitter. This accomplishment requires one to lead his league in three key categories: batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. It is called the Triple Crown. It is a feat that has rarely been achieved, with Miguel Cabrera doing it for the Detroit Tigers way back in 2012. On two occasions, Aaron Judge came tantalizingly close to accomplishing this measure of the complete ballplayer, yet many hardly took notice. Can he do it in 2025? Judge has a track record for leading many categories in MLB, which includes the three key ones that comprise the Triple Crown.
Judge is mainly known for his home run power and great outfield defense. He is the captain of the New York Yankees. He has won two MVP Awards in his career. During those two campaigns, Aaron broke the Yankee team and American League record for home runs in one and flirted with it two years later. He led the league in two of the three categories but came a little short in batting average, which would have completed the trifecta in 2022 and 2024. Why does Aaron Judge's home runs get more press than his ability to hit a baseball consistently? When you are six feet seven inches tall and smack Ruthian shots in New York, that is what people will gravitate towards.
Ultimately, in his record-breaking year of 2022, where he smashed 62 home runs and drove in 131 runs, it was a decision to rest Judge on the final day of the season after breaking the team home run record that may have cost him the batting title and a rare triple. Luis Arraez pushed for the batting crown while Judge focused on the home run record and actually led as deep as September 28th when Arraez made a run to surpass Judge. Once the home run record was in Aaron’s hands, it was decided he would pass on the season finale. Judge was epic in 2022 by also finishing first in on-base percentage, slugging, runs scored, total bases, walks, and extra base hits on the way to the 2022 MVP. However, his no-show in the finale left the final tally with Arraez at .316 and Judge at .311. Judge missed the Triple Crown by five points. It felt like it was there for the taking, and like the Yankees in the Aaron Boone era, they took their foot off the pedal and conceded.
In 2024, as a lethal one-two punch with Juan Soto, the highest-paid player in MLB history, Judge once again punished MLB, leading the AL in home runs with 58 and a personal high in RBIs at 144. Once again, the missing component was the batting crown, which went to Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, who hit .332. Judge finished third at .322, once again experiencing fatigue at chasing the home run record again, as well as seeing teams refuse to pitch to him in the final month. All this after having the worst start in April of his career.
At 33, Judge is a more experienced and seasoned hitter. A funny thing when you consider that Judge is a lifetime .292 hitter. Judge has always hit for power, but also can hit to all fields when the situation presents itself. The only problem for Judge is when he overreaches for pitches when hurlers refuse to challenge him. This is something that Aaron has worked on, one month into a season where he is much more disciplined and takes what is given to him. It is no coincidence that Judge, in his two best power years, also had his best batting average.
It is for this reason that Judge, after one month of the 2025 campaign, looks to be a threat for the Triple Crown once more. He has hit 10 home runs and driven in 32 RBIs with 50 hits in April. The litmus test of whether he is more balanced as a hitter is his .427 average. Judge is the best hitter in the game and fully locked in, and now back in right field, he will not wear his legs out like he did covering the expansive centerfield all last season. A smarter Yankee management is willing to rest him more often to avoid fatigue. This factor alone will guard against the main culprit in his previous failures to win the Triple Crown. This prize is something only special ones have achieved. If you look beyond Cabrera, you have to travel back to 1967 to the last Triple Crown winner Carl Yastrzemski, which was 58 years ago.
