When Aaron Judge signed his nine-year, $360 million contract with the New York Yankees in December 2022, the baseball world stopped to take notice. It wasn’t just a deal—it was a statement. The Yankees were locking in their superstar captain, a towering 6’7” slugger who’d already smashed records and hearts with his 62-home-run season in 2022, earning him the American League MVP. But beyond the headlines, the sheer scale of Judge’s earnings is enough to make anyone’s jaw drop. Let’s dive into the numbers—per game, per hour, per minute—and see what this deal really means for the man leading the Bronx Bombers.
The Big Picture: $360 Million Over Nine Years
Judge’s contract, which runs through the 2031 season, averages out to $40 million per year. That’s a nice round number, but it doesn’t tell the full story of just how wild this deal is. To put it in perspective, $40 million a year means Judge is pulling in roughly $3.33 million a month, or about $769,230 a week. Imagine getting a paycheck like that every Monday morning—most of us would be happy to see that in a lifetime, let alone a week! But Judge’s role as the Yankees’ captain and one of MLB’s biggest stars makes this kind of money a reflection of his value, both on the field and as a marketable face of the franchise.
Now, let’s break it down even further to see what Judge earns in the context of his actual work—playing baseball games, swinging the bat, and chasing another World Series title for the Yankees.
Per Game: A Paycheck for Every Swing
The MLB regular season consists of 162 games, assuming no cancellations or lockouts. At $40 million a year, Judge’s earnings per game come out to approximately $246,914. That’s right—every time Judge steps onto the field at Yankee Stadium, he’s pocketing nearly a quarter of a million dollars. To give you a sense of scale, the median household income in the United States in 2024 was around $74,580, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Judge makes more in one game than the average American family earns in over three years.
Think about that the next time you’re watching Judge launch a 468-foot homer, like he did in his historic three-homer game against the Milwaukee Brewers on March 29, 2025. That game alone, where he drove in eight RBIs and helped the Yankees set a franchise record with nine home runs, earned him his $246,914—plus a few curtain calls and “M-V-P!” chants from the crowd. Not a bad day at the office.
But what about the postseason? Judge and the Yankees made it to the World Series in 2024, playing 11 postseason games before falling to the Dodgers in five. If we factor in those extra games, his per-game earnings dip slightly to around $235,294 across 173 total games. Still, that’s a staggering amount for a single night’s work—more than most people make in years of grinding at a 9-to-5.
Per Hour: Cashing In While the Game Clock Ticks
A typical MLB game lasts about three hours, though some can stretch longer with extra innings or delays. Let’s assume an average of three hours per game for simplicity. With Judge earning $246,914 per game, that breaks down to roughly $82,305 per hour of play. That’s $82,305 for every 60 minutes he’s out there—chasing fly balls, taking his cuts at the plate, or jogging around the bases after another moonshot.
To put that in perspective, the federal minimum wage in the U.S. is still $7.25 per hour as of 2025 (though many states have higher rates). At that rate, a minimum-wage worker would need to work 11,352 hours—about 5.5 years of full-time work, assuming 40-hour weeks with no breaks—to earn what Judge makes in a single hour of game time. And that’s not even counting the time Judge spends in the dugout, chatting with teammates like Jazz Chisholm Jr. or Cody Bellinger, who’ve been making waves alongside him in the 2025 season.
Of course, Judge’s “workday” isn’t just the game itself. He’s at the ballpark for hours before first pitch—taking batting practice, reviewing film, and working with coaches. If we estimate he’s putting in six-hour days on game days (including pre- and post-game activities), his hourly rate drops to around $41,152. Still, that’s an astronomical figure, and it doesn’t even include the countless hours he spends training in the offseason, staying in peak physical shape to keep mashing homers at a record pace.
Per Minute: Every Second Counts
Now let’s get really granular: how much does Judge make per minute? Taking his per-hour game earnings of $82,305 and dividing by 60 minutes, we get about $1,372 per minute. That’s $1,372 for every 60 seconds he’s on the field. To make it even more mind-boggling, that’s roughly $22.86 per second. So, in the time it takes Judge to round the bases after a home run—about 20 seconds, depending on how much he’s savoring the moment—he’s earned $457.20. That’s more than the price of a decent ticket to watch him play at Yankee Stadium!
Imagine this: during that March 29, 2025, game against the Brewers, Judge hit a 468-foot homer off Nestor Cortes in the first inning. The ball left his bat at an estimated exit velocity of 115 mph, soaring into the left-field seats. From the moment he made contact to the moment he crossed home plate, he probably earned close to $500—just for that one swing. And that was only the first of his three homers that day, a performance that reminded everyone why the Yankees were willing to pay him this kind of money in the first place.
Beyond the Numbers: What Judge Brings to the Table
It’s easy to get lost in the numbers, but Judge’s contract isn’t just about the dollars—it’s about what he represents for the Yankees. He’s the 16th captain in franchise history, a leader who doesn’t care if someone like Juan Soto (who signed a $765 million deal with the Mets in December 2024) makes more than him. “It ain’t my money,” Judge said back in November 2024, when asked about Soto’s potential contract. “I really don’t care, as long as we get the best players.” That selflessness, combined with his on-field dominance, makes him worth every penny to the Yankees.
Judge’s 2024 season was a masterclass: 58 homers, 144 RBIs, a .322 batting average, and his second AL MVP award. He led the Yankees to their first World Series appearance since 2009, even if they fell short against the Dodgers. And in 2025, he’s already off to a blistering start, with three homers in a single game against the Brewers and a chase for 63 homers on the horizon. He’s not just a player—he’s a phenomenon, a draw for fans, and a nightmare for opposing pitchers.
The Yankees’ investment in Judge also comes with a broader strategy. His contract, while massive, is part of a roster that now includes other MVPs like Paul Goldschmidt, Cody Bellinger, and Giancarlo Stanton, making the 2025 Yankees one of only seven teams in MLB history to feature four MVP winners in a single season. Add in new ace Max Fried, signed for $218 million over eight years, and you’ve got a team built to chase that elusive 28th championship—a title the Yankees haven’t won since 2009.
The Bigger Picture: Is He Worth It?
Some might look at Judge’s contract and balk at the numbers. $1,372 per minute? That’s more than most people make in a day, a week, or even a month. But in the world of professional sports, where teams are billion-dollar enterprises, Judge’s deal makes sense. The Yankees’ 2024 payroll was $263 million, and they’re a franchise that thrives on star power. Judge isn’t just earning his keep through stats—he’s filling seats, selling jerseys, and keeping the Yankees relevant in a city that demands excellence.
Plus, Judge turned down other offers to stay in pinstripes. He rejected a seven-year, $213.5 million deal from the Yankees in 2021 and even passed on a $400 million offer from the San Francisco Giants before signing his current contract. His loyalty to the Yankees, combined with his production, makes him a cornerstone of the franchise’s future.
Final Thoughts: A Contract That Matches the Man
Aaron Judge’s $360 million contract is more than just a paycheck—it’s a reflection of his larger-than-life presence in baseball. At $246,914 per game, $82,305 per hour, and $1,372 per minute, he’s earning at a rate that’s almost incomprehensible to the average fan. But every time he steps to the plate, launching balls into the stratosphere and carrying the hopes of Yankees fans on his broad shoulders, it’s clear why he’s worth it. As the 2025 season unfolds, with Judge already making history alongside his new teammates, one thing is certain: the Yankees are betting big on their captain, and so far, he’s delivering in a way that makes every dollar—and every minute—count.
So, the next time you’re watching a Yankees game, keep an eye on Judge. Every swing, every trot around the bases, is a reminder of just how much he’s worth—both in dollars and in dreams of another championship parade down the Canyon of Heroes.
