David Ortiz gives high praise to Aaron Judge amid his MVP-caliber season: ‘He’s just special’

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NEW YORK, N.Y. – Aaron Judge’s 2024 season has one Hall of Famer impressed.

The New York Yankees slugger is well on his way to his second MVP in three seasons, and he’s threatening his own AL home run record.

His 62-homer season in 2022 won him his first MVP Award, but he's somehow outperforming that.

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David Ortiz and Aaron Judge pose for photos after Judge was named the winner of the 2023 Roberto Clemente Award before Game 3 of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field Oct. 30, 2023, in Phoenix, Ariz. (Harry How/Getty Images)

Entering Friday, he had a higher OPS (1.174) than that season (1.111) and was hitting 22 points higher than his .311 that year.

David Ortiz may have a Boston Red Sox logo on his plaque in Cooperstown, but even Big Papi can’t help but marvel at what the Yankees captain is doing.

"Man, that guy’s a beast," Ortiz told Fox News Digital at Fanatics Fest Friday. "You’re talking about a guy who has all the tools. And he’s at another level body-wise. He’s just special."

David Ortiz walks the blue carpet at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club at Fanatics Fest NYC at Jacob Javits Center Aug. 16, 2024, in New York City.  (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for Fanatics)

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On Wednesday, Judge hit his 300th career homer. He did it in 955 games, by far the quickest ever.

The previous record was held by Ralph Kiner, who did it in 1,087 games. It took Judge 132 fewer games, almost a full season, to accomplish it.

Judge leads the majors in home runs (43), RBIs (110), on-base percentage (.467), slugging percentage (.707), walks (102) and total bases (301). And his .333 average is the second-best mark in baseball, behind Bobby Witt Jr.'s .349.

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge celebrates in the dugout after he hits his 300th home run during the eighth inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field.  (Matt Marton/USA Today Sports)

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It's quite a turnaround for Judge. On May 2, he was hitting just .197, and Yankee fans were clamoring for him to be benched. Since May 3, he's hitting .388 with a 1.352 OPS.