Aaron Judge returned to the New York Yankees lineup on Tuesday after missing 10 games due to a right flexor strain. Despite his absence and a slower performance in the weeks leading up to his injury, Judge dropped out of the top three in MLB.com’s latest Hitter Power Rankings.
Judge had previously led eight of the last nine rankings this season, with only Cal Raleigh interrupting his streak. “The reigning AL MVP quickly regained his perch that time, and he may well do so again here. But first, he’ll need to show that he is healthy enough to resume the historic mashing he was doing for most of the year,” wrote Andrew Simon for MLB.com.
The Hitter Power Rankings are determined by a formula developed by MLB.com’s data team. This formula weighs recent player performance, season-long statistics, and results from the past 365 days, with an emphasis on recent and current season numbers.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies now leads the list after climbing steadily over recent editions. Since mid-June, Schwarber has hit 18 home runs in 39 games and reached 40 homers for the third time in four seasons.
Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics entered at number two following an impressive rookie campaign since debuting in April. Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers is ranked third, continuing to lead several National League offensive categories despite what is considered a slump by his standards.
Judge ranks fourth overall with a .339 batting average, 37 home runs, and a league-leading 27 intentional walks this season—more than any other team except for the Yankees themselves. His return on Tuesday saw him go hitless in three at-bats.
Other players rounding out the top ten include Kyle Stowers (Marlins), José Ramírez (Guardians), Manny Machado (Padres), Cal Raleigh (Mariners), Bo Bichette (Blue Jays), and Jarren Duran (Red Sox).
The rankings reflect ongoing shifts as players’ performances fluctuate due to injuries or surges during key stretches of the season.
###
