Aaron Judge may break the American League home run record again.
The New York Yankees slugger hit his 40th home run of the season on Friday, becoming the first player to do so in major league baseball this season.
He did it with style, launching it 477 feet into the left field stands at Yankee Stadium.
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New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)
The two-run homer was off Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Kevin Gausman, marking Gausman’s 100th and 101st runs of the season.
Since May 3, Judge is batting .377 with 34 home runs and a 1.338 OPS.
This is a big turnaround for Judge. On May 2, he was batting just .197 and Yankees fans were clamoring to bench him.
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees celebrates after hitting a home run in the first inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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Despite his dismal start, he still leads the majors in home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and total bases. His batting average of .318 is third in the majors.
Judge is on pace for 58 home runs this season and will likely join Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez as the only players in MLB history to hit 50 home runs in three different seasons.
But with a pace of 72 in the 162 games since May 5, the 62 home run mark he set in 2022 is achievable.
Judge is in the second year of a nine-year, $360 million contract he signed after that season, and his $40 million average annual salary is the highest ever for a position player, though teammate Juan Soto could surpass him this offseason.
The deal looked scary last year, after Judge missed most of the season with a toe injury he sustained after crashing into a concrete wall in the outfield at Dodger Stadium and was batting .291 with a 1.078 OPS at the time of the injury, but his batting average dipped to .238 after his return.
New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates with right fielder Juan Soto (22) after hitting a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first inning at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)
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However, it looks like fans don’t need to worry too much anymore.
The Yankees started the season 50-22, then went 11-24 before reeling off five straight wins. As of Friday, they were tied for first place in the American League East with the Baltimore Orioles, who are also on a losing streak.
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