Former Yankees and current Rangers catcher Kyle Higashioka remembers how hard Aaron Judge took his first cup of big league coffee.

Far from an MVP at that point, Judge struggled over his first 27 games in the majors, hitting just .179 in 2016. Some would have simply chalked the performance up to growing pains, but not Judge.

“A lot of players would be kind of like, ‘Oh, OK. Well, I just need to get hot at the plate and I’ll be good,’” Higashioka said Tuesday with the Rangers in the Bronx. “But that was so upsetting to him that he did not play well in his first experience that he completely overhauled his swing, went out on a limb and whatever. Basically, he wasn’t content with just being another player. It was like he wanted to absolutely maximize his potential, and he has. And he continues to get better. That’s just the kind of player he is.”

Judge has gone above and beyond, turning himself into the best hitter in the game.

Entering the series against Texas, he was slashing an absurd .401/.490/.751 with 15 home runs and 41 RBI. Then, in Tuesday’s win, he raised his league-leading average to .403 with a 2-for-4 performance that also included his 16th home run of the season — another MLB-best at the time — and the shortest of his career at 326 feet.

In Wednesday’s victory, Judge went 1-for-3 with an RBI single, leaving his average at .402 before Thursday’s afternoon game.

For Higashioka, a member of the Yankees organization from 2008-2023, Judge’s power is nothing new. However, the backstop is baffled by Judge’s flirtation with a .400 average.

“.400 is actually the only thing that’s crazy to me,” Higashioka said. “Because nobody’s hit .400 since Ted Williams. We’ll see if he hits .400 this year. But yeah, that’s pretty nuts.”

A longtime friend of Judge’s, Higashioka believes the Yankees captain’s “continual drive” has allowed him to reach these heights.

In 2022, Judge reset the American League record for home runs in a season. Injuries interrupted his dominance in 2023, but then he recorded the greatest season ever for a right-handed hitter in 2024. Now he’s outperforming the pace he set just a season ago, a pace that earned him a unanimous MVP Award.

“A lot of people would be very content with having some of the seasons he had a few years ago and just staying at that level,” Higashioka said. “But I think he’s gotten better every single year since then. That’s just a testament to the character he has.”

Higashioka returned to Yankee Stadium this week for the first time since being traded to San Diego in the Juan Soto deal two offseasons ago. Tuesday’s game called for a video tribute, as well as ovation, for the 35-year-old, who signed a two-year, $13.5 million deal with Texas over the winter.

“Higgy’s one of a kind,” Judge said of his former teammate, who was hitting .225 with one homer and eight RBI prior to catching on Thursday. “I came up with him. He’s the definition of a great teammate, a great competitor. He’s a guy that pulls for every single person in this clubhouse. He makes everybody around him better.

“I know he was a guy that really didn’t get an opportunity to be a true starter for us for a while, but that never changed his demeanor, his attitude or how he played the game. So he’s still one of my good friends. I always check in with him. Always definitely wish for the best. I was happy for his deal with Texas. He’s, if not the best, one the best teammates I’ve ever had.”

Kyle Higashioka got a tribute video from the Yankees ❤️ pic.twitter.com/T0kNRWE8Ag

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) May 20, 2025

Higashioka is still pulling for the Yankees when he’s not playing them, as he said he rooted for the club in the World Series last year.

“I’m not a Dodger fan,” Higashioka said, adding it was “tough” to see the Bombers fall in five games.

While Higashioka is settling in well with the Rangers, he did say he misses some of the players, front office members and staffers he built relationships with in New York.

Now two seasons removed from the pinstripes, he remains grateful that he spent the first seven years of his major league career with the Yankees.

“Being in a place that’s so familiar, that’s always special,” Higashioka said. “But also, being a Yankee is definitely really special, so I feel extremely privileged to have been a part of this organization for so many years. I thought the fans were really good to me. I loved playing in front of them. It’s a very unique place, and it’s a very special place to play. So I’m just grateful.”