At this record pace, it won’t be long before Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge receives the renowned “Barry Bonds Treatment” from pitchers across the league, which includes walks, walks, and more walks.
But what baseball has yet to realize is that this treatment isn’t clenched to Bonds’ name, and based on statistics, Judge has a chance to claim the naming rights.
In his first 26 games this season, Judge has hit 13 home runs (104 plate appearances), and has broken records along with television screens. The 6-foot-7, 282-pound behemoth has also driven in 27 runs and scored 28, and currently owns a slashline of .330/.443/.818 and an OPS of 1.251. In early April, the chants were for American League Rookie of the Year. Now in May, the chants have changed to American League Most Valuable Player.
So, what does this have to do with Bonds–baseball’s “home run king?” Back in 2001, the year in which Bonds broke the single-season home runs record with 73, the 36-year-old also had 13 home runs (106 plate appearances) through the first 26 games of that campaign. He also had 10-less runs scored than Judge (17) and one-less RBI (26). Since Bonds is synonymous with slugging, it’s also worth noting that his OPS was 60 points lower than Judge’s, sitting at 1.191.
Even for a mammoth like Judge, the challenge of surpassing Bonds’ home run record is mammoth in itself. But, as long as fans, analysts, and players pay attention to projections, Judge is on pace to hit 81 homers with 168 RBI. That kind of production would undoubtedly demand some hardware.
While he is young and not a seasoned veteran, age isn’t a factor when determining accolades. According to Bovada Las Vegas, Judge currently holds the third-best odds to win AL MVP (7/1), which only trails the defending winner Mike Trout (7/5) and Francisco Lindor (9/2).
As of late, everything is coming up roses for Judge, as he’s shown little weakness at the plate and in the field. But if he’s next in line to one day garner the ultimate respect from pitchers, the number to beat is a whopping 232 walks–a record Bonds set back in 2004.
