From the standings to the league leaders to the scoreboard itself, numbers are narrative in baseball.
Each season is a little different and 2025 is no exception. Some numbers tell the story as it unfolds; others suggest where the game is and might be headed.
Here are a few numbers that are holding my attention as we approach the halfway point of the campaign.
.454
What the number is: Aaron Judge's batting average on balls in play
Why it's important: Judge has reached that rarefied place few other hitters have: when a star batter becomes so lethal, debates emerge about whether it would be better to simply walk him every time he comes up.