![]() Based on the tracking figures at Baseball Savant, Judge has 26 “no-doubter” homers, or fly balls that would have cleared the fence at all 30 parks. Nor is his record chase merely a result of his homer-friendly home ballpark. Judge leads the second-most prolific home run hitter, Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies, by 10 right now, which puts him on pace for a season-ending lead of 15 homers not since Jimmie Foxx led Ruth by 17 homers in 1932 has the gap between first and second place been that large. The majors’ 1.08 homers per game this season represents the lowest mark since 2015. For instance, as far as baseball fans know, Judge’s titanic total doesn’t come with any contextual asterisks it isn’t just a product of a “juiced ball” or an extreme homer-happy environment. ![]() This record chase is fascinating for obvious reasons-home runs are cool! Records are cooler! Judge is a Yankee!-and because of some more subtle factors. And Judge, with 43 dingers in 106 team games, is on pace for 66. As a reminder, only five players in MLB history have hit 60 home runs in a season: Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire (twice), and Sammy Sosa (thrice) in the Steroid Era Roger Maris and Babe Ruth outside it. He just won the American League’s Player of the Month award, and its Player of the Week award twice in a row. While the baseball world devoted most of its attention to the trade market, Judge picked up his already prodigious pace, with 10 homers in 13 games since the All-Star break. You laughed about unvaccinated Whit Merrifield’s trade to the Blue Jays? Well, Merrifield doesn’t suit up for baseball’s most popular team.īut those notable traits all apply to Aaron Judge, who leads the majors with 43 homers and has two months left to hit more. You think Luis Castillo might boost the Mariners to their first playoff berth in two decades? Well, Castillo isn’t pursuing a record chase on the verge of a high-profile free agency. What, a Juan Soto blockbuster raised your eyebrows? Well, Soto doesn’t have a shot at 60 home runs. Even in this homer-happy era, it is not often a player makes a real run at 60 dingers.Thank goodness the trade deadline is over, because now we can turn to the actual most interesting story line of the remaining MLB season. Ryan Howard slugged 58 homers in his 2006 NL MVP season. That includes a truly mind-boggling stretch in which Stanton hit 30 homers in a 48-game span. Giancarlo Stanton made MLB's last run at 60 homers, going deep 59 times in his 2017 NL MVP season. Here are the nine 60-homer seasons in history: What we're talking about Judge possibly doing doesn't happen often. To accomplish that, you have done it over a season, not just one game or one at-bat." Single-season home run leaderboardīefore we go any further, I should note only nine times in MLB history has a player hit 60 home runs in a season, and six - the top six - of the eight came during what has become known as the Steroid Era. It's something that is a unique record, one of the best in sports. ![]() But would be excited for he is able to achieve monumental task. Sixty-one is a unique number," Kevin Maris, one of Roger's sons, told MLB.com in August. We couldn't be more proud in what he accomplished. "It's always nice to see dad brought back in the public eye a little bit for his accolades in baseball. 10, the same number of homers Maris hit with the Yankees. Also, Judge hit his 203rd career home run on Aug. Maris, who passed away in 1985, hit 61 homers 61 years ago in 1961. There is some wonderful symmetry in Judge's pursuit of Maris' AL home run record. Here is the MLB home run leaderboard as of Oct. The race for the home run title isn't much of a race at all. ![]() In addition to home runs Judge also leads the league in walks, runs scored, RBI, total bases, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+, and both the FanGraphs and Baseball Reference versions of WAR. Some players would crack under that pressure. It was a bold decision, no doubt about it, and Judge has responded this season by doing what seemed impossible: he's made himself more money. The Yankees star crushed his 62nd home run of the season Tuesday, beating Roger Maris for the American League single-season record.īack in spring training Judge rejected a very reasonable seven-year contract extension worth $213.5 million. Aaron Judge has joined MLB home run royalty.
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