Aaron Judge Wins Third MVP, Yet Yankees’ Ring Still Eludes
Aaron Judge has done it again. The Yankees superstar has been named the 2025 American League MVP, marking the third time he has won the award in just four seasons. His individual brilliance over this stretch has been nothing short of historic. From 2022 through 2025, Judge has posted staggering numbers: a .311 batting average, a .439 on-base percentage, and a .677 slugging percentage, while blasting 210 home runs, driving in 464 RBIs, and scoring 471 runs. His cumulative Wins Above Replacement, or WAR, during these four seasons sits at an astonishing 35.9—averaging nearly 9 WAR per year, far above what is typically expected from an MVP-caliber season.
Yet, despite this unprecedented dominance, there is a glaring absence in Judge’s resume—a World Series ring. The Yankees have not hoisted the championship since 2009, a drought now stretching 16 seasons. This mirrors a previous long gap the franchise experienced between 1978 and 1996, though that era included the 1994 strike that wiped out the World Series, a season in which the Yankees had the best record in the American League. With Judge in the lineup, the Yankees are tied for their longest championship drought since their first title in 1923, underscoring the frustration of having historic individual performance without ultimate team success.
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Judge’s achievements are further magnified when compared to other baseball legends. Only a handful of players have ever won three MVPs in a four-year span—Barry Bonds did it twice, and Shohei Ohtani is currently on a similar run. Very few players have matched Judge’s production between ages 30 and 33, with only the likes of Sammy Sosa and Babe Ruth posting similar home run totals, RBIs, and runs. Achieving an OPS+ over 200 at this stage of a career, as Judge has, is a feat previously reached only by Ruth.
The irony is particularly stark when looking at Yankees history. Most of the team’s three-time MVPs—Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle—also accumulated multiple World Series rings. Judge now joins Don Mattingly as one of the rare Yankees MVPs without a championship, highlighting the unique pressure he faces. While Judge has delivered consistently on the field, playoff outcomes have not always gone his way, as seen in the 2024 World Series when he struggled at the plate and made a costly error in Game 5.
Still, baseball is a team sport, and even a player of Judge’s caliber cannot carry a championship alone. The Yankees’ front office and teammates share in the responsibility of converting individual brilliance into team glory. For now, Aaron Judge’s historic stretch is celebrated, but the ultimate prize—a World Series title—remains just out of reach. The clock is ticking, and every season brings renewed urgency for both Judge and the Yankees to finally close the chapter on their long championship drought.
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