Aaron Judge becomes an anime Superhero in MLB’s bold new campaign

The Yankees slugger is blasting home runs in anime now, too. Baseball just got an anime twist and Aaron Judge is leading the charge. The New York Yankees captain has been reimagined as a full-fledged anime hero in Major League Baseball’s new “Heroes of the Game” series, a creative part of its “Baseball is Something Else” campaign. The idea? Turn star players into larger-than-life characters in an eye-catching anime style.
Launched just ahead of Opening Day, the campaign is clearly aimed at drawing in younger fans, especially those already hooked on anime. With fast-paced visuals and bold, stylized animation, MLB is blending sports with pop culture in a fresh way.
star to step into the league’s anime-inspired universe. He follows in the footsteps of Seattle Mariners sensation Julio Rodríguez and Pittsburgh Pirates rising star Paul Skenes, who were featured in earlier episodes of the “Heroes of the Game” campaign each portrayed as dynamic, superpowered figures with glowing energy and action-packed visuals. Now it’s Judge’s turn, and the animation looks strikingly accurate. “They actually did a really good job,” Judge said with a smile, after watching the clip on a reporter’s phone. “Even nailed the batting gloves.”
The timing couldn’t be better either. Judge is currently putting up numbers that feel ripped straight from a comic book. As of May 1, he's leading the majors in nearly every key stat: a .412 batting average, .507 on-base percentage, .728 slugging, and a jaw-dropping 1.235 OPS. He’s also tallied 47 hits, 83 total bases, 29 RBIs, and added 9 home runs, 7 doubles, and a triple all before the season even hits full stride. Yankees manager Aaron Boone believes there’s still more to come. “I don’t think he’s really been that hot yet,” Boone said. “When he locks in and starts launching them regularly, look out.”
For those unfamiliar, anime is a globally popular animation style from Japan known for its bold visuals and dramatic storytelling. MLB’s decision to merge it with America’s pastime is a unique effort to connect with a wider, younger audience.
“It’s just about growing the game,” Judge said. “If this gets more people watching, especially kids, that's a win. I think it’ll be cool for my daughter to see one day too.”
This isn’t Judge’s first foray into animation either; he popped up last year in a Rubble and Crew episode, taking part in a fun home run contest with cartoon characters.
Now, with his anime debut, Aaron Judge is proving that baseball heroes don’t just live on the field they can thrive in animated worlds too.