BRONX, NY — It is difficult to comprehend, but the six-foot-seven right-handed slugger Aaron Judge, is currently en route to a better overall season than what the New York Yankees’ captain put up in 2022 — a year in which he broke the American League single-season home run record, and captured his first-career AL Most Valuable Player award. Here are the numbers:
Judge’s 2022 in the Yankees’ first 128 games played: 49 HR, 109 RBI, .293/.393/.655, and an OPS of 1.049 — finished with 62 HR
Judge’s 2024 in the Yankees’ first 128 games played: 48 HR, 118 RBI, .334/.465/.726 and an OPS of 1.191 — finished with __ HR?
Incredible is one way to put it. Another is video game-like. Judge continued his incredible, video game-like run on opposing pitchers Thursday afternoon at the stadium, as this time, Cleveland Guardians’ starting pitcher Gavin Williams, fell the victim.
HR No. 48 on the year for Aaron Judge ⚾️💣#RepBX #MLB #Yankees #LatinoSports #AaronJudge pic.twitter.com/IJhdmWfrKL
— Latino Sports (@LatinoSports) August 22, 2024
More from above: In the home half of the fourth inning, the 32-year-old All-Star corked back and connected on a 92 MPH changeup, sending it 104.6 MPH off the bat, and 360 feet to the right field seats.
The solo-blast opened the scoring for the Yankees in the 6-0 series finale win, while for Judge, it marked his 48th homer of the year, his fourth in the last three games, and 147th since the start of 2022.
At the same time, it checked off yet another historic feat for this year’s AL MVP favorite, as Judge became just the third MLB player ever to record multiple seasons with 48 or more home runs in their respective team’s first 128 games played in a given year — Sammy Sosa: 1998, 1999, & 2001 and Mark McGwire: 1998 & 1999 — stat courtesy of NY Yankees.
Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, teammates since 2018, have combined for 728 home runs throughout their careers (Judge: 305 and Stanton: 423) – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
His teammate Giancarlo Stanton, who smashed a three-run homer on Thursday in the bottom of the fifth, his 21st of the season, and first since August 11th, stated that Judge is “on a whole other level compared to 2022.”
He went on to say: “He’s playing a video game, all of us are out here grinding.”
Judge’s response? “Big G’s just being nice. I watched Stanton for years do this, so I’m just trying to be like him.”
With just 34 games to go in the 2024 Yankees’ regular season, Judge is currently on pace for 61 home runs. Though opposing teams may opt to intentionally walk him throughout this final stretch, and pitch around him, Judge is fully capable of not just hitting 60 home runs, or matching his record-setting 62 from a couple of years ago, but surpassing it…
Aaron Judge greeted by Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto at the Yankees’ front step of the dugout after Judge’s home run on Tuesday, August 20th, against Cleveland at Yankee Stadium – Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports
“If it comes with a ring, and a lot of fun in the playoffs then definitely that would be cool, but I’m just trying to do whatever I can each day to put ourselves in a good position to win a ballgame,” said Judge following Thursday’s win, which put New York 22 games over .500 at 75-53, (1.5 games up on the Baltimore Orioles for the AL East division lead entering Friday.)
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