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Batting averages are down across Major League Baseball this season. While modern stats like on-base percentage and slugging percentage get more attention, batting average still tells a story. Being a batting champion is a crown every hitter wants to wear.
This year, the story is historic, and not in a good way for the league. Only one player will finish above .315: New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, who is hitting .330 with three games remaining. Never before have fewer than two hitters finished above .315 in a season, though in 2021 Trea Turner and Yuli Gurriel were the only two to reach that mark.
Looking back, low-batting-average seasons are rare but not unheard of. Some historic years like 1908 had legends such as Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner, and 1968, known as the Year of the Pitcher, also featured suppressed hitting stats. But even by those standards, Judge’s performance is remarkable.
Judge isn’t just a power hitter; he’s an excellent hitter overall. To carry a .330 average in a season where no one else is close is an impressive achievement. He stands alone this year, the sole representative of a club that once included many of baseball’s best.
This season, Judge will have to carry that mantle by himself, as no other player has stepped up to join him at the top. It’s a testament not just to his strength, but to his consistency and skill at the plate.