Judge and Raleigh: Power explosion in MLB, Historic seasons?

In a season where offense has been elusive, with many pitchers dominating and relievers showing effectiveness, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners are starring in historic numbers that stand out in any era, but especially in the baseball of 2025.

Aaron Judge: An Outstanding Performance

Judge’s season is not entirely surprising. With 62 home runs in 2022 and 58 in 2024, the player became the first to reach a .700 slugging percentage since Barry Bonds. However, his current numbers surpass those of those seasons. Batting .364/.464/.724 with 28 home runs, Judge is projected for an 11.9 WAR, a figure that few position players achieve. This performance comes despite a slump in mid-June, where Judge had a 2-hit streak in 22 at-bats.

Cal Raleigh: An MVP Race Surprise

On the other hand, Raleigh’s season is one of the most unexpected and MVP-level in recent memory. The 28-year-old catcher is batting .275/.380/.651 and leads MLB with 69 RBIs and 32 home runs. It’s only the twenty-fourth time a player has reached at least 30 home runs in the first 81 games of the season.

Although he has already connected 30 home runs before, being the fourth catcher with at least three seasons of 30 or more home runs, he is currently two away from his personal record. His projection of 65 home runs would place him in one of the best offensive seasons for a catcher. With a WAR of 4.3, he is projected for 8.9, surpassing Mike Piazza’s 8.7 in 1997.

With the Yankees and Mariners playing their 81st game on Friday, the midpoint of the season, let’s analyze some of the best power seasons in the first halves to put into perspective what Judge and Raleigh are achieving.

The Best First Halves of Power in History

Most home runs in 81 games:

• Barry Bonds, 2001 Giants: 39 (73)
• Mark McGwire, 1998 Cardinals: 37 (70)
• Babe Ruth, 1921 Yankees: 35 (59)
• Reggie Jackson, 1969 A’s: 34 (47)
• Babe Ruth, 1928 Yankees: 33 (54)
• Jimmie Foxx, 1932 A’s: 33 (58)

Ruth and Foxx played in an era with a 154-game schedule. Jackson, in his second full season, was on pace to break Roger Maris’ record, but his performance declined. Raleigh joins a group that includes Ruth, Maris, Ken Griffey Jr., Sammy Sosa, and Luis Gonzalez, who also hit 32 home runs in their first 81 appearances. The last player with at least 30 home runs in 81 games was Shohei Ohtani, but in 2021, not in 2024. The question is whether Raleigh will be able to maintain this pace.

Best Combinations of Power and Average in 81 Games

Highest OPS in 81 games:

• Barry Bonds, 2004 Giants: 1.414
• Babe Ruth, 1921 Yankees: 1.374
• Barry Bonds, 2001 Giants: 1.357
• Barry Bonds, 2002 Giants: 1.342
• Babe Ruth, 1930 Yankees: 1.338

Ruth and Bonds dominate these lists. Judge is in 25th place with an OPS of 1.202, but his wRC+ of 221 puts him seventh in history, and his OPS+ of 226 in tenth place. Judge is one of nine players with a .360 or higher average and at least 28 home runs in 81 games:

• Babe Ruth, 1921 Yankees: .372, 35 HRs
• Jimmie Foxx, 1932 A’s: .383, 33 HRs
• Babe Ruth, 1930 Yankees: .374, 32 HRs
• Mickey Mantle, 1956 Yankees: .371, 30 HRs
• Frank Thomas, 1994 White Sox: .373, 30 HRs
• Babe Ruth, 1927 Yankees: .366, 29 HRs
• Lou Gehrig, 1927 Yankees: .397, 28 HRs
• Tony Perez, 1970 Reds: .363, 28 HRs
• Aaron Judge, 2025 Yankees: .364, 28 HRs

Judge is accomplishing this in a lower-scoring era, which makes his adjusted statistics even more impressive.

What Does This Mean for Judge and Raleigh?

Raleigh has connected 29 of his 32 home runs as a catcher. The home run record for catchers is led by Salvador Perez with 48 in 2021. Raleigh has been a low-average and power hitter, but now shows both. There have been improvements in his game, such as a reduction in his strikeout rate and an increase in his fly ball rate. An increase in the line drive percentage. In addition, he is hitting much better from the right side of the plate. His results on pitches in the center of the plate are impressive: .515 average, 1.576 slugging, and 11 home runs in 33 at-bats in 2025. Raleigh has played in 78 of Seattle’s first 80 games. Manager Dan Wilson needs Raleigh’s performance, especially with rotation problems on the team. Regarding Judge, his batting average has been high, and his performance has been consistent. Yankees manager Aaron Boone is also taking advantage of his star’s moment. The MVP race between these two players promises to be close. Both have high WAR. Let’s enjoy their offense.