SAN FRANCISCO — The Yankees have seen enough and claim they’re not all that surprised.
And yet they still seem to be in awe when Aaron Judge does what he does best, hitting 14 home runs and 12 doubles in the month of May.
“We’re grateful. We’re in the middle of a great time,” manager Anthony Rizzo said Friday night after Judge capped off a monster May month with two home runs against the Giants at Oracle Park.
The final damage from this month: Judge batted .371 with a 1.415 OPS, 14 home runs, 12 doubles and 22 walks in 28 games.
Of his 36 hits, 26 were extra-base hits, tying him with Babe Ruth for the third-most hits in a single month in Yankees history, behind Joe DiMaggio (31 in 1937) and Lou Gehrig (29 in 1930).
“You’d think I’d be surprised by this, but he’s been great,” manager Aaron Boone said. “26 extra-base hits this month? I mean, it’s hard to wrap your head around what he’s doing. He’s just doing his job. He’s consistent as a person and a player and the way he does things. It’s just fun to watch.”
Judge, a level-headed man, seemed barely bothered by this historic month.
The most detailed admission he gave was on Thursday night, when he went so far as to say it was a “good month” and quickly added the goal of repeating that in June.
But his teammates were happy to praise him on his behalf.
“It’s awesome to see what he’s done, because it’s a pretty historic feat,” Marcus Stroman said. “I think sometimes we take it for granted.”
Boone recently expressed a similar sentiment, saying he doesn’t want to take Judge lightly because he always sets high standards for himself.
Boone has had a front row seat to watch Judge attempt 62 home runs in 2022, but the captain is unlikely to wow the manager.
“If he does something that’s a first or something unique or whatever adjective you put on it, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised because I know how good he is and when he focuses, it’s different,” Boone said.
A quiet first few weeks of the season was a historic month for Judge, and he did it in the context of a year in which offensive production has declined across the league and other superstars have yet to fully reach their full potential.
Some of baseball’s best sluggers, who have yet to reach the milestone of 14 homers and 12 doubles this season (through Saturday), may not even be paying attention to what happened last month.
Bryce Harper, Pete Alonso, Yordan Alvarez, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Rafael Devers, the list goes on and on.
Meanwhile, Judge joined Albert Belle (14 home runs and 13 doubles in August 1995) as the only players in major league history to hit 14 home runs and 12 doubles in a single month.
“It’s been an amazing month,” Lizzo said. “Dougie. [Alex Verdugo] As I said last week, it’s a wonderful time for many people. [of players]His start in April wasn’t great for anyone, not even for him, but that’s what happens in this game and it evens out. That’s why we play No. 162. So hopefully he continues to do well.
“If he goes, we go too.”
Sure enough, the Yankees went 21-7 during Judge’s hot May.
The only other time Judge hit 14 or more home runs in a month was in September 2017, when he hit 15 and finished the season as the AL Rookie of the Year with 52 home runs.
Judge had never hit 14 home runs in a month, even during his record-breaking 62-home run season.
Judge has yet to repeat the consistency of that season, but he did hit an MLB-leading 20 home runs in June and is on pace for 55 this year.
