Aaron Judge fastest to 300 home runs in MLB history: By the numbers

All rise! 

Aaron Judge has once again set a record. Just one day after the eighth anniversary of his first homer, the Yankees slugger hit career home run No. 300 on Wednesday versus the White Sox. Judge reached the milestone in an astonishing 955 games, or 132 games fewer than the previous record holder, Ralph Kiner. 

For further comparison, here are the five players who hit 300 homers in the fewest games in history:

1. Aaron Judge – 955 games
2. Ralph Kiner – 1,087 games
3. Ryan Howard – 1,093 games
4. Juan Gonzalez – 1,096 games 
5. Alex Rodriguez – 1,117 games

This, of course, is just the latest achievement for Judge, who also owns the American League record for home runs in a single season with 62 in 2022. 

Here are some other notable numbers from his prolific career:

1: In 2017, Aaron Judge became the first rookie in MLB history to compile 45 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored.

1.000: Since his first full season in the big leagues in 2017, Aaron Judge is one of just two players to have four or more seasons posting an OPS of 1.000 or better (Mike Trout)

2: If Judge finishes 2024 with a wRC+ of 200 or better, he’s currently at 217, it would be his second season eclipsing the 200 threshold. That would give him more such campaigns than all other AL players combined since 1958 (Frank Thomas’ 205 wRC+ in 1994 is the only 200-plus season during this span).

4: This season he is on pace for 57 homers. Only Ruth, McGwire and Sammy Sosa have twice reached that figure in MLB history (McGwire and Sosa did so three times each), with Ruth the only player to have done so in the AL.

5: Aaron Judge’s 217 wRC+ puts him on pace to become just the fifth AL player since 1901 (start of the AL) to post multiple seasons of 200 wRC+ or better, joining Babe Ruth, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle and Ty Cobb.

11: In 2022, Judge put together 11 games with multiple home runs, tying Hank Greenberg (DET, 1938) and Sammy Sosa (CHC, 1998) for the most in a single season in MLB history.

11.46: Aaron Judge has hit a home run every 11.46 at-bats in his career. The only player to hit a homer in fewer at-bats on average (min 3000 PA) is Mark McGwire, who hit one every 10.61 at-bats.

28: Since his debut in 2016, Judge has 28 home runs traveling 450 feet or longer, the most of all players during that span.

31: After winning the MVP in 2022, he became the 31st player in MLB history to capture Rookie of the Year and an MVP in his career.

33: Despite all the all-time greats that have worn pinstripes, Judge’s 33 home runs at home during the 2022 season was a franchise record.

34: Judge set a Yankee record this season for the most home runs before the All-Star break with 34. The previous record of 33 was held by Roger Maris (1961, his 61 HR year) and later tied by Aaron Judge in 2022.

35: Since entering the league in 2016, Judge leads all players with five seasons of 35 or more home runs.

52: Judge blasted 52 homers during his rookie season, passing the franchise record of 29 set by Joe DiMaggio. To this day, that is also an AL single-season record for rookies.

60: Judge is one of just two players in MLB history to post a season with 60 HR, 200 OPS+ and more than 130 runs scored, joining Babe Ruth.

62: In 2022, Judge set the AL record for the most homers in a single season with 62. 

63: Since his first full season in the majors in 2017, Aaron Judge’s 63 first-inning home runs are the most of any player. No other player has reached 60.

217: His wRC+ is currently at 217, tied with 1957 Mickey Mantle for the fifth-highest since World War II and behind only 2002 Bonds (244), 2001 Bonds (235), 2004 Bonds (233) and 1957 Ted Williams (223).

300: Since entering the league, Judge’s 300 homers are 33 more than any other player in the majors.

594: At his current pace of 40 homers per season and if he played through his current contract, which runs seven more seasons after 2024, Judge would end his career with 594 homers, good for 10th-most all-time.

For future reference, here are the players who took the fewest games to reach both 400 and 500 home runs:

Fewest Games To 400 HR:

1. Mark McGwire – 1,412 games
2. Babe Ruth – 1,475 games
3. Alex Rodriguez – 1,489 games
4. Giancarlo Stanton – 1,520 games
5. Albert Pujols – 1,523 games

Fewest Games to 500 HR:

1. Mark McGwire – 1,639 games
2. Babe Ruth – 1,741 games
3. Alex Rodriguez – 1,855 games
4. Sammy Sosa – 1,879 games
5. Harmon Killebrew – 1,955 games

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