Is Aaron Judge Worthy of Being in the Same Class as Roger Maris?
Is It Too Soon to Say He’s One of the Home Run Greats?
Is Aaron Judge Worthy of Being in the Same Class as Rodger Maris?
Is It Too Soon to Be Saying He Is One of the Home Run Greats? Will He Get to Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds Level?
Aaron Judge was one of the most talked-about in Major League Baseball this season. The 6’7″, the 282-pound slugger is eyeing Mark McGwire’s home run record. He is leading the American League and the entire league in home runs. But is Judge really worth mentioning in the same breath as home run greats like Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Roger Maris? It’s a question that baseball fans have debated since Judge’s breakout season.
Marris and Judge are comparable in statistics. But the question is pitching as difficult in 2022 as in 1961. Maris hit .269 with 39 home runs. On the other hand, Judge hit just .287with 39 home runs last season. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the batting average is a relatively flawed stat. A hitter can have a great day at the plate and still go 0-for-4 if he hits four balls directly at fielders. Conversely, a hitter can have a terrible day at the plate and still go 4-for-4 if he happens to find some holes in the defense.
Furthermore, league-wide batting averages have been on a decline in recent years. Are hitters getting less skilled? In 2000, for example, the league-wide batting average was .270. Last season, it was just .255. So while Judge’s batting average may not be on par with Maris’, it’s still better than average when compared to today’s standards.
It’s also worth noting that Judge struck out an incredible 196 times last season. That’s more strikeouts than any other player in history has had in a single season—rookie or otherwise. However, it’s important to remember that strikeouts are not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, they can actually be somewhat helpful to a hitter because they mean that he’s swinging for the fences and trying to hit home runs. And as we all know, Judge excels at hitting home runs.
The bottom line is this: yes, Aaron Judge deserves to be mentioned in the same class as Roger Maris. He may not have hit as many home runs as Maris did in his career, but he seems like he will surpass Maris in single-season home runs. His batting average was better than average when compared to today’s standards. Only time will tell if Judge will be able to maintain his high level of play throughout his career, but there’s no doubt that he has the potential to become one of baseball’s all-time greats.
Do you think Aaron Judge is worthy of being mentioned in the same class as Roger Maris?