NEW YORK – That’s 50 and 51 for No. 99.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. It is the third time Judge has surpassed the 50-home run mark in a single season.
Only four other players have accomplished this feat: Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez.
The six-time All-Star was also the first player to hit 50 home runs three times in his first nine MLB seasons. Judge is also the majors player with the most home runs, with Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers having the second most with 41.
The outfielder was on pace to hit 61 home runs earlier in the day. In 2022, Judge set an American League record with 62, surpassing the mark of 61 set by fellow Yankee great Roger Maris in 1961. This season, Judge hit his 50th home run on Aug. 29. This year, he did it on Aug. 25, and New York has 31 games left after Sunday.
Judge is aiming to become the third player all-time, joining Sosa and McGwire, to have multiple 60-home run seasons. Judge would be the only player to do so without being associated with performance-enhancing drugs.
Judge’s first at-bat came off Rockies starter Austin Gomber. With the score tied 0-2, Judge hit an 82.5 mph changeup over the left-center field wall. It flew 431 feet and raced out of the stadium at 106.7 mph. The home run gave the Yankees a 2-1 lead and scored Gleyber Torres, who had previously walked.
Make it 5⃣0⃣ for the judge 🫡#AllAscension pic.twitter.com/BG8ThS33fP
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) 25 August 2024
Judge struck out the 51st in the seventh inning, and the crowd chanted “MVP” after the blast. He then stepped out of the dugout to show his batting helmet to the fans while Giancarlo Stanton stood at the plate.
That home run came right after Juan Soto hit his career-high 37th home run of the season. It was the sixth time Judge and Soto had hit consecutively. After Judge’s 50th at-bat, Stanton hit a home run, giving the Yankees their first back-to-back home runs since September 17, 2020 against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Jeff Criswell of Colorado allowed the three home runs.
Arson again. #AllAscension 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NYtEf1HXtp
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) 25 August 2024
Judge has hit seven home runs in his last six games, nine home runs in his last ten games and 16 home runs in his last 27 games.
Hall of Famer Derek Jeter – New York’s last official captain before Judge takes over in 2023 – raved about Judge at Old-Timer’s Day on Saturday.
“Personally, I don’t understand it. It’s unbelievable, it just seems like he’s getting better and better,” Jeter said. “He’s fun to watch and he carries on the legacy and tradition of the Yankee organization and the superstars, and he’s a great representative of that organization.”
Rodriguez called Judge a “unicorn.”
“I’ve never seen a player like him, who looks like an NFL tight end: 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, less than 10 percent body fat. The guy is just a textbook example,” Rodriguez said. “He makes me look small, he makes all of us look small. But he also has a unique element, like Derek and (Mariano Rivera). No matter how big the stage is, he keeps his eye on what’s most important.”
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(Photo: Getty Images)
