Aaron Judge joins pair of New York Yankees legends
It was a matter of time before New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge belted his 50th homer of the year.
That happened on Monday night. Judge took Ryan Tepera’s 1-1 curve deep to center, a 434 foot blast, for his 50th home run of the year. That would prove to be the final run on the night as the Yankees lost 4-3.
New York Yankees exclusive club welcomes Aaron Judge
His home run proved to be historic. Judge now has two seasons with at least 50 homers, joining Babe Ruth (1920, 1921, 1927, 1928) and Mickey Mantle (1956, 1961) as the only players in Yankees history to reach that plateau twice while wearing pinstripes.
Judge is clearly not done. While he has already joined an impressive group of players, two of the greatest legends in the history of the game, he has his sights set on another target. He has 33 games left to hit at least ten more homers, becoming the first player outside of the Steroid Era to reach that mark.
Likewise, the Yankees’ single season home run is within reach. Just ten homers would have Judge in the company of Ruth and Roger Maris as the only Yankees players to reach the 60 homer threshold, while an even dozen would give him the franchise record. Maris also still has the AL home run record with his 61 homers, as Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Barry Bonds were all in the National League when they surpassed that mark.
Provided he stays healthy, that mark could fall. Judge is currently on pace for 63 home runs, a mark that would set the AL record and would be tied with Sosa for the sixth most in MLB history. And, unlike Sosa, McGwire, and Bonds, there would not be any questions as to the legitimacy of his accomplishments.
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Aaron Judge became the third player in New York Yankees history to have two seasons with at least 50 homers. And he’s not slowing down.