Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is on pace to break the American League home run record again. Judge hit his 40th home run of the season, making him the first player in the majors to reach that milestone. The home run he hit was an impressive 477 feet into the left field bleachers at Yankee Stadium, off Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman. This blast also drove in his 100th and 101st runs of the season. Judge has been on fire since May 3, hitting .377 with 34 home runs and a 1.338 OPS. This is a stark turnaround from his poor start to the season when he was hitting just .197, causing Yankee fans to call for him to be benched.
Despite his slow start, Judge leads the major leagues in multiple offensive categories, including homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and total bases. His .318 batting average is third in baseball. Judge is currently on pace for 58 home runs this season, putting him in elite company with legends like Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez, as one of the only players in MLB history to hit 50 homers in three different seasons. With a 162-game pace of 72 home runs since May 5, Judge could even surpass his own record of 62 homers set in 2022.
Judge is in the second year of a lucrative nine-year, $360 million deal he signed after his historic 2022 season. Despite concerns about his contract last year when he missed time due to a toe injury, crashing into an outfield wall at Dodger Stadium, Judge seems to be living up to the expectations this season. The Yankees have been on a hot streak, winning five straight games after a rough period that followed a strong start to the season. They are currently tied with the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East lead, and Judge’s stellar performance has been a significant factor in their success.
It is evident that Aaron Judge is a force to be reckoned with in Major League Baseball, and his performance this season has cemented his status as one of the game’s premier sluggers. With impressive power numbers and a consistent batting average, Judge is on track to potentially break records and solidify his place among the all-time greats. Despite some early struggles and concerns about his contract, Judge appears to be back and better than ever, leading the charge for the surging New York Yankees. Fans and analysts alike are eagerly watching to see if Judge can continue his power surge and make history once again.
