Aaron Judge’s greatness is more than just a home run record

Yes, Judge is likely to break the American League record for home runs in a season, which is impressive onto itself. It’s so much more than that, however. A look across different metrics shows just how dominant Judge has been — and how it has helped garner interest for the once favorite pastime of America.

Judge is likely to fall short of the Major League Baseball record of 73 home runs. Anyone who has been following Judge’s pursuit will note that most people have brushed aside that record — held by Barry Bonds — or any home run season north of 61 home runs because all those men were embroiled in performance enhancing drug scandals and allegedly used steroids. Bonds and Sammy Sosa have denied those allegations.

Right now, Judge is 20 home runs ahead of his nearest competitor, Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Kyle Schwarber. Judge stands out not just for overall total, but for how much of an outlier his performance is compared to the competition.

Of course, Judge doesn’t stick out merely for his home run prowess. He’s as close to the complete package as a hitter as you can find.

Mantle’s 1956 season is the sole one among the 50+ home run seasons in which the player also led his league — American or National — in batting average and RBIs (runs batted in).

You might make the argument, however, that metrics such as batting average and RBIs are outdated in the age of advanced statistics. No worries, if you’re someone trying to explain how amazing Judge’s season has been, there’s evidence for that as well.

Take a look at a few of the stats that are generally preferred by wonks of the game. Judge is ahead of everyone else in on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging percentage (OBPS), wins above replacement (WAR) and so on.

The bottom line is Judge’s season is excellent no matter how you look at it.

Baseball was the clear fan favorite back when Maris hit 61 home runs. It was a clear second place when McGwire broke Maris’ mark.

I can only imagine how much more press Judge would be getting if his historic season was taking place when many Americans actually cared about the game. Maybe, Judge’s season will help revive baseball in the tiniest way and — while I can think of millions of other things I’d rather see than a Yankee succeed — that’s something I can live with.