The Judge Show Continues With Soto

Juan Soto and Aaron Judge have become must watch television for all sports fans out there - Image Credit: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports

BRONX, NY — Look at Aaron Judge and Juan Soto home runs Sunday afternoon in the Bronx as they did again the sixth time in the same game this season, and part of a back-to-back-to-back that included Giancarlo Stanton in the seventh inning.

Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton, went back-to-back-to-back this afternoon in the Yankees’ 10-3 win over the Rockies, which marked the first time the Bronx Bombers have hit a HR in three consecutive at bats since 2020 💣⚾️🗽

📸: Bill Menzel/Latino Sports | #RepBX pic.twitter.com/Psb6xSQzcS

— Latino Sports (@LatinoSports) August 25, 2024

Listen to the accolades Judge and Soto receive from manager Aaron Boone and the Yankees, running out of words about their continued accomplishments. Regardless, they hit home runs and the Yankees capitalize with good pitching which sparked them to a concluding homestand on a 10-3 win over the Colorado Rockies.

But the Yankees, more so Judge is not concerned about home run records. As Judge said, after hitting his Major League leading 50 and 51st home runs, it’s more about winning ballgames and a World Series.

Either way, you look at it Judge is leading the Yankees and is a difficult out.

Judge at this pace could break his American League single-season home run record that he established two years ago with 62. And there is talk. Perhaps not this year but soon that he will rival the 73 home runs hit in the steroid era of Barry Bonds, though maybe not out of the question with 31 games remaining.

Leave that for another time because when Judge gets to the plate MVP chants erupt from the home crowd. They also expect another home run ball.

Judge for the third time in his career reached 50 home runs, second time in three seasons with a first inning two-run homer off Austin Gomber. Then in the seventh it was “Murderers Row” with Soto (#37 solo), Judge with his 51st, and Stanton (#23 Solo.) Gleyber Torres (#11) in the 8th inning with two on broke the game open.

But, as it has become routine, the talk is about Judge. And of course, Soto is also a part of the discussion, not out of the question as a potential AL MVP candidate, and any talk about walking away from the Yankees in his free agent year will wait as he is also focused on winning a World Series title with the Yankees.

He said about Judge and a home run record of bypassing Bonds, “If there’s any guy in the league that can do it, I think it’s going to be him. We know how great he is. It’s crazy to see a guy hit a homer day after day. I think I’ve never seen someone hit so many homers so consistently.”

And that is the amazing thing about all of this, consistency. And only Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez had three 50-home run seasons. Judge is one of those rare home run hitters you find in a generation, this though has created more of a buzz from that record he achieved in 2022, then the focus of every at-bat.

Now, also the focus on every at-bat, the pressure also not getting to him. All he wants is to continue being the model team captain, and aiming for that World Series title that has eluded him and first for the Yankees since 2009.

Before departing for their train ride down to Washington D.C., where the Yankees begin a brief three-game road trip series with the Nationals, Boone again was asked about this Judge home run pace.

“Honestly, I’m just running out of words, what he’s doing,” he said. “We’re getting on the train. I’ve got to get the thesaurus out and get to work, because it’s amazing.”

He’s not the only one that needs a thesaurus. Most who cover the Yankees beat are out of words. The advance scouts who watch Judge from their perch behind home plate are also amazed and finding it difficult to write their reports about how their pitchers would approach his at-bats.

“Even when you are careful he is liable to go after a pitch and hit it out of the ballpark,” one scout with longevity commented this weekend. “You can’t walk him every time and he is a challenge.”

Stanton says about Judge, “He’s playing a video game. That’s what the best in the world does. Make it look easy. We’re all feeding off that, and he amazes us every night. I’m glad he’s on our side.”

It is amazing and of course the Yankees are tough to beat when Judge gets to the plate with a lead or trailing with runners on base. The home run has become a routine. And back-to-back-to-back for the Yankees for the first time since September 7, 2020 of the pandemic short season.

And Judge is just trying to be a model teammate, though the focus on him is hard to ignore.

“I got to the point trying to be a good hitter and a good teammate,” Judge said. “So that’s what I am trying to do. I feel if I can do that, we can look up at the end of the year, and I think the numbers will be where they’re supposed to be.”

Yeah, the numbers are there now. It’s a matter of how many more home runs. And if Soto continues his tear it makes for more interesting Yankees baseball down the stretch in their quest.

Rich Mancuso is senior writer and contributor with Latinosports.com – X (Twitter): Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso

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