All Rise
Aaron Judge is at it again. The two-time (and defending) AL MVP is putting together yet another season for the ages. With a real chance to set new career highs in batting average, Hits, runs scored, slugging percentage, OPS, and WAR, the New York Yankees slugger is also once again taking a run at a 60+ home run season.
Playing for the Yankees places you in a tradition with some of the game’s legends: Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, DiMaggio, the list goes on and on. What Aaron Judge is doing this season is up there with the best offensive seasons of these true all-timers. Combined with last season’s remarkable AL MVP season, Judge is on one of the greatest two-season stretches baseball has ever seen.
A superstar of the highest order, Judge is a dominant force in both the sport and The Hobby. Let’s take a closer look.
A Debut Worth the Wait
Today, Judge reigns supreme in the American League, but his rise took time. Drafted by the New York Yankees 32nd overall in the 2013 MLB Draft, he tore a quad muscle and missed the entire 2013 season. Showing real promise the next season, by 2015 he was playing in the All-Star Futures Game.
MLB and The Hobby got the first real taste of what Judge could do in August 2016, when he hit a home run in his first career at-bat. Topps NOW commemorated the historic moment, in which Judge had gone back-to-back with fellow rookie Tyler Austin. With a print run of just over 5,200 and a PSA 10 population of 134, this is a fun card for collectors looking for an early Judge appearance.
Speaking of early Judge cards, we have to mention his 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks & Prospects Baseball offerings. As with many players, his early Bowman is arguably his most coveted of all. The Autographed Superfractor 1/1 version of the card sold for $324,000 through Fanatics Collect in 2022.
A Rookie Season Worth Its Weight in Gold
It may have taken a while, but once Judge arrived in 2017 as the Opening Day starting right fielder, he was here to stay. Judge had one of the best rookie seasons ever, hitting 52 home runs to go along with 114 RBI. His 2017 rookie cards are some of the most sought-after in the modern Hobby.
This 2017 Topps Chrome Baseball X-Fractor Auto numbered to 20 is currently listed on Fanatics Collect for $20,000.
Judge’s Series 1 rookie cards include this popular card known as the ‘Leaning on Railing’ card, showing the young star in the Yankees dugout. On June 15, it sold for $660.
Judge Leads off 2018 Topps Baseball Series 1
By 2018, Judge was already the shining star for MLB’s most iconic franchise. He was rewarded with the honor of leading off 2018 Topps Baseball Series 1, joining legends such as Hank Aaron, Ted Williams, and Jackie Robinson.
Injuries hampered Judge over the next few years, but he still managed two 27-HR seasons, when he was only able to play 112 and 102 games, respectively. In 2021, Judge managed to play in 148 games and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. A great start to a career was about to go supernova.
Hitting 62 in ‘22
Judge’s 2022 MVP season is remembered less for taking home the trophy than for the historic run to an AL record-setting 62 Home Runs, breaking the famous league and franchise record of 61 set by Roger Maris. Topps NOW was there as Judge marched to history, celebrating the accomplishment with cards marking his 60th, 61st, and 62nd home runs of the season. This lot of the three signed cards is currently available on Fanatics Collect.
A 2024 Encore
2023 featured more injury frustration for Aaron Judge, who played only 107 games. He was still named an All-Star for the fifth time, and launched 37 home runs in only 458 at-bats. In 2024, a healthy Judge somehow managed to be even better than the two previous years. The AL MVP for the second time in three years, Judge hit 58 homers and a career-high 144 RBI.
Judge helped lead the Yankees to the 2024 World Series, losing to Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. While he’s yet to win a title, Judge is one of the sport’s biggest superstars. Appointment viewing every time he steps into the batter’s box, he’s a must-have for anyone in The Hobby. Topps gives collectors myriad ways to chase Judge in every baseball release.
One particularly fun Aaron Judge offering can be found in 2024 Topps Baseball Update Series, when Topps, Judge, and Paw Patrol collaborated to create the Aaron Judge “Big Dog” insert.
Making History and Chasing a Ring
Aaron Judge will be a Hall-of-Famer, but when you play for the Yankees, at the end of the day, the ring is the thing. With the Yankees once again looking like title contenders, Judge is leading by example, with a preposterously dominant start to 2025.
As with the other great Yankees stars, Judge is more than just a player. He’s larger-than-life, a Big Apple Icon, and part of the very fabric of the city itself.
Say hello to yet another great Aaron Judge card. This time, it’s part of the short-printed All Kings insert. Paying homage to the popular All Aces insert, Topps features baseball’s best hitters in a fantastic checklist that simply had to include The Judge.
All rise.
More Topps & The Hobby
- Mike Trout & The Hobby
- Bryce Harper & The Hobby
- David Ortiz & The Hobby
