Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aaron_Judge_(36661725630).jpg 

With it evident at the midway point of the 2022 MLB season that the New York Yankees are the best team in the whole of baseball, is Aaron Judge the team’s best player?

For some, he is not just the best player on the Yankees’ roster at the moment, but he is inexplicably the best player in the entire MLB. Indeed, there are a number of stats that could potentially help highlight why so many are raving over why he can be considered to have that particular status.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into why so many believe he is the best player in the league and sport at the moment, subsequently backing up the notion that so many already have: Judge is the best player on the Yankees team in 2022.

Statistics suggest Judge is one of the best in the MLB

Prior to Wednesday’s clash with the Pittsburgh Pirates – in which the Yankees managed to win 16-0 and Judge became the first slugger this season to hit 30 home runs – the team was 58-23 through 81 games. The win keeps them on pace to match the record for most wins (116) in a 162-game regular season that was set in 1906 by the Chicago Cubs and in 2001 by the Seattle Mariners.

Indeed, for many, Judge is a huge reason why this is the case. Indeed, No. 99 managed to reach 30 home runs for the third time, while also being the second time in his career that he reached 30 home runs before the All-Star break. Moreover, it keeps him on pace to hit 60 for the season, while also being on pace to break Roger Maris’ non-PED-aided single-season home run record.

Aaron Judge has 30 home runs before the All Star break! pic.twitter.com/WNf6O5KgGR

— Talkin’ Yanks (@TalkinYanks) July 7, 2022

Additionally, his figures currently read as .287/.366/.627, and this is all the more impressive given the fact that he is in a walk year. It really would not be a surprise if he were to win his first-ever American League MVP Award, either, given the way that he has been performing for the iconic baseball franchise.

Judge has helped the Yankees build a commendable lead in the MLB this season with his performances, with the team currently holding an impressive lead over the second-place Boston Red Sox by 14 games.

Judge has admitted he is the best player on the Yankees’ team

Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/MyQRGqdq2fE

While he has since admitted that it was a gaffe on his part, Judge did recently declare himself as the best player on the Yankees’ roster, and it would be extremely hard to disagree with him. In a recent interview, he stated: “When you’re the best player on the team, how can you not [be confident]?” before attempting to clarify the statement and saying: “I was trying to say ‘when you are the best team on the planet,’ and I knew I messed it up. What I said was when you’re the best team on planet. And I thought to myself I really messed that up. And then I tried to say something about the fans and that came out wrong too.”

Of course, there is hardly anyone that is going to disagree with him if he continues to produce as well as he is at the moment, including those in New York that may have been having a little tickle with the sports betting options that they have available to them in the state now that the activity that has gone live.

Indeed, punters are now able to use the Caesars NY Sportsbook odds for the Yankees matches when they wish to place a wager on the baseball matches the team continues to play, and apparently dominates in this season.

Naturally, there will be a lot of interest in the World Series market for many given the record that the team has been able to compile, while others may be interested in wagering on certain individual accolades that Judge could potentially obtain, including the American League MVP Award or even on the number of homers he is able to hit before the end of the season.

However, could this be the last season that Yankees fans in NY will be able to place a wager on No. 99 while he is still part of the iconic franchise?

Judge is in a walk year

As we noted beforehand, Judge is currently in the final year of his contract with the Yankees and would be free to enter free agency in the offseason for the first time ever in his career should the same scenario that he finds himself in currently remain.

And, according to certain reports, it would perhaps seem that this is something that could happen. It has been revealed that there have been no discussions regarding a new deal at the moment, as the player would like to continue to focus on matters on the field; something that appears to be working for everyone.

Hal Steinbrenner on the Aaron Judge contract sitch: “No matter what happens during the season, we’re not going to give any updates. We’re just not going to do it. I mean, I completely agree with Aaron that in no way, shape, or form can this be a distraction.”

— Lindsey Adler (@lindseyadler) July 6, 2022

While he managed to avoid committing to a new long-term deal at the start of the season, he has never hidden the fact that he would like to remain a pinstripe, however he has also admitted that he would be open to talking to all 30 MLB teams in the sport this winter and see what proposals were to come his way.

Hal Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ managing general partner, has also revealed that he is in complete agreement with Judge regarding the fact that no discussions will be entertained during the season, as the sole focus is to go for the World Series. This does come after he had authorized the front office to offer Judge an extension that would have guaranteed him $213.5 million for seven years.

It would only be normal if the Yankees were to be quietly worried about the situation given how well Judge is performing, but then again, they might also be quietly confident in being able to convince him to stay; especially if they are able to win the World Series.

Final Thoughts

So, is Judge the best player on the Yankees’ roster in 2022? Yes. Is he the best player in the MLB this year? It would be hard to name someone who is better than him at the moment