Seth Udinski, FISM News
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Aaron Judge is honing in on the AL single-season home run record after he recorded two more blasts over the weekend.
The 30-year-old slugger for the New York Yankees slammed his 58th and 59th home runs of the season on Sunday, bringing him one shy of Babe Ruth’s hallowed 60-home run mark from 1927, and two behind the AL record of 61 set by Roger Maris 61 years ago.
Maris held the major league record for 37 years until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998, and Barry Bonds then set a new record of 73 in 2001.
Judge stole the show at the plate on Sunday, contributing heavily to the Yankees’ 12-8 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition to his two round-trippers, he singled and doubled, driving in four runs on the day.
His 59th home run came in the top of the 7th inning:
HR No. 59. 2nd of the day.
Aaron Judge is now 2 home runs away from tying the AL HR record 🔥
(via @Yankees)pic.twitter.com/4nYQPSYsVi
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 18, 2022
It will be a lively week at Yankee Stadium, as the Bronx Bombers host the Pirates on Tuesday and Wednesday, and then welcome their hated rival Red Sox for a four-game series over the weekend.
The situation could not be more ideal for Judge, who has a golden opportunity to break the record in front of his hometown fans in New York. To do it against their fiercest rival later in the week would be even more thrilling.
Judge’s teammates are simultaneously thrilled and wowed by his performance. Pitcher Gerrit Cole said after Sunday’s game,
Sorry to repeat the same line, but it’s historical. I got nothing else for you. It’s the greatest offensive season that I’ve personally ever witnessed. I don’t know what else to say. I mean, it’s wonderful. I’m riding it, dude. It’s amazing.
Some baseball experts believe Judge has a legitimate opportunity to reach Barry Bonds’ MLB single-season record of 73 home runs. The Yankees have 16 games remaining in the regular season, and Judge needs 14 to tie the record. It is a long shot, but with the way Judge has been swinging the bat all season, the chance is there.
For the Yankees, the AL East division title is not far off either. The team holds a 5.5-game lead in the division and has its sights set on a return to the World Series for the first time since 2009.