Aaron Judge Shines While Juan Soto Awaits Free Agency
The 2022 Major League Baseball season has been a spectacle of home runs and outstanding individual performances, highlighted by Aaron Judge setting the American League single-season home run record with 62 home runs last year. Fast forward to the current season, and Judge is once again making headlines, already smashing 51 home runs and on pace to hit 63 by season’s end.
Judge's prowess at the plate is complemented by his impressive Wins Above Replacement (WAR) of 9.4, pointing to his all-around value on the field. Should his current form continue, his season-long WAR may reach an outstanding 11.5, drawing comparisons to the great Barry Bonds, who posted a WAR of 11.7 in his remarkable 2002 season.
Meanwhile, Juan Soto, a pending free agent, is also enjoying a strong season. With 37 home runs to his name, Soto is tied for fourth in the league in home runs and is projected to finish with 45 home runs. His contributions extend beyond power hitting, as evidenced by his WAR of 7.5, positioning him fourth in MLB for this metric. By season’s end, Soto's WAR could rise to 9.2, making a strong case for his market value as free agency looms.
Judge and Soto's combined offensive firepower could make history, as they are collectively on pace for 108 home runs this season. This incredible output mirrors historical feats, with only five pairs of teammates in Major League Baseball history having achieved such a combined total in a single season. This puts them in elite company, underscoring the rarity and significance of their achievements.
The last and only team to have two players surpass 50 home runs in the same season were the 1961 Yankees, a testament to the formidable offensive capability required to hit such a milestone. Additionally, the Yankees have not had two teammates each accumulate a WAR over 10 since the legendary 1927 lineup, which included baseball icons like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Judge and Soto could be on track to replicate this historic level of performance.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on how these prolific sluggers continue to shape the narrative of this year's campaign. Aaron Judge's potential to break more records and Juan Soto's future in free agency add layers of intrigue to an already thrilling season. Their individual and combined efforts could very well be recorded as one of the great modern-day performances in baseball history.