The new Bonds? BETTER than a video game player? Aaron Judge has his teammates scrambling for superlatives
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Jorge Castillo, ESPN Staff Writer
Every day, or close to it, Aaron Judge does something noteworthy, if not unprecedented. A towering home run — or two. An intentional walk with — gasp — two outs and the bases empty in the second inning. A record matched. Another record broken. Jaws dropping has become a daily occurrence going on five months.
And so his teammates and his manager have been asked, on an almost daily basis, to describe what they’re witnessing from the extraordinary slugger. By this point, the questions are met with headshakes. Formulating an answer has become an increasingly difficult mental exercise for members of the New York Yankees.
“Running out of words, honestly,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday after Judge clubbed home runs Nos. 50 and 51 in a win over the Colorado Rockies. “Just running out of words with what he’s doing. We’re getting on the train [to Washington]. I gotta get the thesaurus out and get to work.”
Judge has 51 home runs in 130 games, putting him on pace to break the American League record he set in 2022 of 62. He’s batting .333 with a .465 on-base percentage and .732 slugging percentage while playing center field almost every day. He leads the majors in fWAR. At age 32, he’s better than he’s ever been.
“I guess we’re on the on-pace portion of the season,” Boone joked last week. “Look, anything’s possible with him. I think he just wants to be great every day and help us win. So, nothing would surprise me.”
All this success comes despite a start to the season that saw Judge batting .178 with a .674 OPS and four home runs in 27 games. Since then, he’s become a pitch-mashing machine, slashing .377/.506/.844 with 47 home runs and 109 RBIs in 102 games. On Monday, he added a defensive gem: a leaping catch at the wall to rob an extra-base hit and turn a double play against the Washington Nationals.
“It’s hard,” said Gerrit Cole — one of baseball’s most thoughtful and well-spoken stars — when asked to describe Judge’s four-month onslaught last Thursday.
Cole had just watched Judge smack his 48th home run and tally his 16th intentional walk in a win against the Cleveland Guardians.
“It’s so impressive because when you look around the league and you see guys with high batting averages — .330, .340, .350, the guys in the past — there’s a fair amount of bunt hits and infield hits. This guy’s sitting at .330 and I’m not quite sure he has an infield hit all year. They’re all doubles and homers.
“So, it’s like there’s no one to compare to him. Certainly not walking around right now — outside [Barry] Bonds. I mean, so, it’s just … what a wonderful experience to have him on my team and being around him.”
A little earlier that afternoon, Giancarlo Stanton, one of the few people ever to know what it’s like to club home runs at that clip, offered a contemporary measuring stick for his teammate’s tear.
“He’s playing a video game,” said Stanton, who banged 59 home runs for the Miami Marlins in 2017. “All of us are out here grinding.”
Three days later, Marcus Stroman decided video games were yesterday’s news.
“It’s maybe even better than video game numbers,” Stroman said. “You know they say, like, ‘Oh, this guy’s like a video game.’ It’s better than that.
“I’m just trying to be present and take it all in, to be honest with you, because it’s something you may never see again. I’m just trying to witness it and really feel it in the moment.”
During a game last week, Stroman stood next to fellow starter Nestor Cortes in the Yankees’ dugout and marveled at Judge’s abilities.
“He was like, ‘Oh man, this guy’s incredible,'” Cortes recalled. “And I’m like, ‘Yeah, I watched this in 2022 all year. It felt like every time he goes up to bat it was either a homer or a walk, and that’s exactly what’s happening now.”
The reality is Judge is better than he was in 2022, and he’s reached another level in August. In 21 games this month, he’s batting .425 with 12 home runs and a 1.544 OPS — all tops in the majors. Of 181 qualified players, 169 have an OPS at or below Judge’s .986 slugging percentage. He has hit four home runs in his past five games, seven in his past seven games and nine in his past 11 games.
With the outburst, he became the first player to ever have 50 home runs, 120 RBIs and 100 walks before September. He’s the fifth player ever to hit 50 home runs in three different seasons. With a month and change remaining, he’s on track to become the third player with multiple 60 home run seasons. There’s no sign of him — or the questions — slowing down.
“Hard to wrap your head around it,” Boone said. “We talk about it a lot, just what he’s doing, because I get asked about it all the time. Not just in these pressers, but people coming up to you. I’m kind of running out of words to say you’re witnessing greatness. You really are. He’s just kind of better than everyone.”
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Ryan S. Clark
Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.
There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.
But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.
“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”
In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.
Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.
Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.
Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.
Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.
As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.
Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.
“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”
It seems such a short time ago that all 16 teams began the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs with a clean slate. On Tuesday night, two teams could have their postseason runs ended.
Can both teams stave off elimination to get another home game out of the 2025 postseason?
Meanwhile in the Western Conference, both series involving Pacific Division teams are tied 2-2 heading back to the higher seed’s domain. Which teams will take pivotal Games 5 in Vegas Golden Knights–Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings–Edmonton Oilers?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Monday’s games, and the Three Stars of Monday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
Game 5 (TOR leads 3-1) | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN
Games 2-4 marked the 11th time in the past 20 years that teams have gone to overtime three straight times in a playoff series.
Jake Sanderson‘s game-winning overtime goal was the first of his career, and he became the ninth defenseman age 22 or younger with an OT goal in the playoffs (and the first for the Senators).
Veteran David Perron scored his first playoff goal with the Senators, the fourth team with which he has scored a postseason goal (Blues, Golden Knights, Ducks).
Matthew Knies scored his sixth career playoff goal, which is tied for the fourth most by a Maple Leafs player age 22 or younger since 1976-77, behind Auston Matthews (12), Wendel Clark (11) and Russ Courtnall (8).
Toronto defensemen have scored five goals this postseason, the most by any team, a surprising outcome given that the Leafs had the fewest goals by defensemen in the regular season (21).
New Jersey Devils at Carolina Hurricanes
Game 5 (CAR leads 3-1) | 7:30 p.m. ET | TBS
The Devils have outscored the Hurricanes at 5-on-5 in the series (7-5), but trail on their own power plays (0-1), the Canes’ power plays (0-4) and when the net is empty (0-2).
Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen was knocked out of Game 4 following a collision with Devils forward Timo Meier. Meier has not scored on Andersen during this series, but scored on his first shot on goal against backup goalie Pyotr Kochetkov.
Andersen’s status is up in the air for Game 5, but he is the current leader among playoff goaltenders in goals-against average (1.59) this postseason, and is second among qualified goalies in save percentage (.936).
Andrei Svechnikov scored his second career playoff hat trick in Game 4. He has two for his career and is the only player in Hurricanes/Whalers franchise history to score a playoff hat trick.
Minnesota Wild at Vegas Golden Knights
Game 5 (series tied 2-2) | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
Game 4 broke one streak and continued another. Ivan Barbashev‘s OT winner snapped a three-game losing streak for Vegas in playoff OT games, while the loss for Minnesota makes it five straight defeats in home playoff games that go to the extra session.
Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson made 42 saves in the loss, his second career playoff game with 40 or more. He is the only goaltender in franchise history with multiple 40-save games in the playoffs.
Kirill Kaprizov registered an assist in the Game 4 loss, giving him eight points in four games this postseason, one behind the leaders.
Vegas forward Tomas Hertl is on a heater. His goal in Game 4 is his third this postseason, and he has eight goals in his past nine games going back to March 22.
The Wild have been mostly effective at keeping Jack Eichel off the score sheet. He had one assist in Game 4, his first point of the series after a team-leading 94 points in the regular season.
Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings
Game 5 (series tied 2-2) | 10 p.m. ET | TBS
With his two-goal outing in Game 4, Evan Bouchard became the fourth defenseman in Stanley Cup playoff history to have back-to-back multigoal games, joining Rob Blake (2002), Al Iafrate (1993) and Denis Potvin (1981).
Leon Draisaitl — who scored the OT game winner in Game 4 — now has eight four-point games in his playoff career. That’s the fourth most in Oilers history, behind Wayne Gretzky (20), Mark Messier (10) and Jari Kurri (10).
Tied with Draisaitl for the playoff scoring lead is Kings winger Adrian Kempe, who is also tied for the goals lead with four. Kempe had 19 total points in 22 previous playoff games, all with the Kings.
Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been busy, facing 134 shots, which is the second most among postseason goaltenders (Gustavsson is first with 136). Kuemper’s current .881 save percentage is the second worst of his playoff career, narrowly ahead of the .879 he generated while backstopping the Wild for two games in the 2013 playoffs.
Arda’s three stars from Monday night
Johnston scored his first goal of the 2025 postseason nine seconds in, which is tied for the fifth fastest goal to start a game in Stanley Cup playoff history. He had himself a night, with two goals and an assist in the Stars’ win.
Rantanen scored his first postseason goal with the Stars against his old team. Rantanen became the seventh different player in NHL history to score a playoff goal against a team with which he previously tallied 100-plus postseason points. The others: Jaromir Jagr (2012 and 2008 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins), Brett Hull (2002, 2001, and 1999 vs. St. Louis Blues), Wayne Gretzky (1992, 1990, 1989 vs. Edmonton Oilers), Jari Kurri (1992 vs. Oilers), Paul Coffey (1992 vs. Oilers) and Bernie Geoffrion (1967 vs. Montreal Canadiens).
His postgame quotes keep getting better and better, to the point where he deserves a star for saying, “I’m sick of talking about hits” — then asking the media for their thoughts. Love it.
Monday’s scores
Florida Panthers 4, Tampa Bay Lightning 2
FLA leads 3-1 | Game 5 Wednesday
After an exciting, but scoreless, first period, the game heated up even more in the second. Anton Lundell opened the scoring for the Panthers, and Aaron Ekblad delivered a vicious hit to Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel; the call was not penalized on the ice, and Hagel would have to leave the game. Thereafter, the Lightning scored two goals within 11 seconds from Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak to take the lead well into the third period. But then in another span of 11 seconds, the Panthers pulled off the same feat, with goals by Ekblad and Seth Jones, sending the building into a frenzy. Carter Verhaeghe added an empty-netter for insurance. Full recap.
1:21
Panthers match Lightning with 2 goals in 11 seconds to take lead
Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones score within 11 seconds of each other as the Panthers grab a late lead in the third period.
Dallas Stars 6, Colorado Avalanche 2
DAL leads 3-2 | Game 6 Thursday
As wild as the opening game was Monday night, this one looked to be going down the same road early. Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston scored nine seconds into the game, which is the fastest goal ever to start a playoff game in Stars franchise history. Fellow young Star Thomas Harley joined him on the scoresheet with 45 seconds left in the first. From there on, Dallas kept Colorado at arm’s length, with a second-period goal from Mikko Rantanen, another from Johnston and one from Mason Marchment, followed by an empty-netter from Roope Hintz to put an exclamation point on the proceedings. Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored in the second period, but that was not nearly enough on this night. Full recap.
0:34
Stars score in first 9 seconds of the game
Wyatt Johnston wastes no time as he finds the net within nine seconds of play for a Stars goal against the Avalanche.
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