The New York Yankees return home from a disappointing nine-game road trip on Monday to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Bronx.
In spite of going 2-7 on the road, Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit a career-high 46 home runs this season, the most in Major League Baseball.
If Judge hits as many home runs as predicted by ESPN, he will set a new franchise record. In addition, he is predicted to score 132 runs while driving in 137, making him the clear frontrunner for the American League Most Valuable Player.
In 1961, Roger Maris hit 61 home runs, one more than Babe Ruth’s previous record of 60, set in 1927.
Barry Bonds’ record of 73 home runs in a single season, which he set in 2001, seems to be safe. For now, at least. But Judge wants to be the sixth player in a single season to hit at least 60 home runs.
Judge also has the most runs, RBI, and total bases in the major leagues (282).
Since RBI became official in 1920, only four players have led the majors in all four categories in the same season: Babe Ruth (1921, 1923, and 1926), Lou Gehrig (1931), Ted Williams (1942), and Mickey Mantle (1956).
If that tells you anything, then Williams and Mantle both won the Triple Crown in those years. This year, Judge is hitting .300, which is the best of his career, but he is only eighth in the American League. Luis Arraez, who plays first base for the Minnesota Twins, has the best batting average in the AL at .333.
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