NEW YORK — Aaron Judge added another chapter to his historic career Wednesday night, blasting two home runs that lifted the New York Yankees into a first-place tie in the American League East.
The Yankees captain launched his 50th and 51st homers of the season in an 8-1 rout of the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium. By doing so, Judge became just the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to record four separate 50-home run seasons.
In the second inning, Judge unloaded a three-run shot off right-hander Jonathan Cannon. The ball traveled 392 feet into the Yankees bullpen in right-center field. It came on a 96.6 mph sinker and left his bat at 106.9 mph, giving New York a 3-1 lead and igniting the 47,000 fans in attendance.
“He hits everything,” Cannon said. “I mean, he’s the best hitter in the game for a reason. I made a bad pitch to him over the plate, and he punished me for it.”
The towering slugger wasn’t done. In the eighth inning, Judge connected on a solo shot against left-hander Cam Booser. It marked his 46th career multi-homer game, tying Mickey Mantle for second in franchise history behind Babe Ruth’s 68.
Judge now stands alongside Ruth, Mark McGwire, and Sammy Sosa as the only players to post four seasons with at least 50 home runs. That puts him in the rarest company among baseball’s most powerful hitters.
“If you sit back and admire it, you’re going to stop your momentum,” Judge said. “There’s a lot of work that needs to be done. Hopefully I have a long career here and we do some special things. We can talk about it at the end.”
The 6-foot-7 outfielder has now reached 50 homers in 2017 (52), 2022 (62), 2024 (58), and 2025 (51 and counting). He earned American League MVP honors in 2022 and 2024, while also winning Rookie of the Year in 2017.
Yankees surge into playoff position with captain’s blast
Judge’s performance came at a critical time for New York. The win, paired with Toronto’s loss to Boston, pushed the Yankees (90-68) into a tie for first in the division with just four games left.
Toronto holds the tiebreaker, meaning New York must finish ahead in the standings to win a second straight division title. The Yankees have erased a three-game deficit by winning seven of their last eight contests.
“It’s unbelievable, but that’s baseball,” Judge said. “Especially with the expanded postseason, you’re going to have some moments like this where teams are going back and forth. When I go home, I turn on MLB Network, check all the scores, see what’s happening. It’s pretty amazing.”
It was New York’s first share of the top spot since July 3. Manager Aaron Boone praised Judge’s impact. He called it “another great evening for the captain” while crediting Judge’s hot streak for the team’s turnaround.
Captain’s consistency becomes team’s driving force
Judge has been nearly unstoppable since Sept. 11. Over his last 13 games, he has hit .439 with seven home runs and a 1.572 OPS. The Yankees have gone 10-3 in that span.
“I feel like the last couple of weeks he’s really started to swing the bat really well again,” Boone said. “And having just really good at-bats, night in and night out, at-bat after at-bat.”
Starter Max Fried, who improved to 19-5 after throwing seven strong innings, praised Judge’s relentless approach.
“The consistency is incredible,” Fried said. “Every game that he plays, everyone is giving their best stuff to him, every single day. The consistency and discipline that he’s able to have, not taking an at-bat off and making sure that he’s doing everything that he can — his ability to lock in like that, it’s extremely impressive.”
Boone highlighted Judge’s leadership, noting the way he keeps the clubhouse focused even after celebrations.
“Those guys are tight because it starts with him,” Boone said. “He makes it a point to make sure everyone is heard, seen, a part of it. He takes that responsibility very seriously. It’s one of the things that helps us navigate the long, tough season. He’s the total package.”
Health concerns fade with strongest throw since injury
Judge also showed progress in his recovery from a right flexor strain that sidelined him earlier this season. In the second inning, he unleashed an 85.8 mph throw from right field to second base.
Though the ball sailed over shortstop Anthony Volpe, the velocity was his best since suffering the injury in July. For weeks after returning, he had been limited to designated hitter duties.
“Still a work in progress,” Boone said. “That was by far the most he’s let one go so, hopefully, that’s a good sign.”
Judge admitted accuracy remains a challenge but said the strength is returning.
“It’s feeling great,” Judge said. “I’ve got to get back the accuracy a little bit, but that’ll come. I don’t like air-mailing balls like that.”
Batting title and MVP race intensify
Judge heads into the final four games leading the majors with a .328 batting average. If he holds on, he will become the tallest batting champion in league history. He also tops the American League with a 1.136 OPS.
This season has seen an unusual surge of sluggers reach 50 home runs. Judge joined Seattle’s Cal Raleigh (60), Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber (56), and Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani (53). Only 1998 and 2001 had as many as four players hitting 50 or more.
Judge’s latest milestone came a day after he tied Ted Williams for the most intentional walks in a season by an AL player with 34. Earlier this month, he moved past Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio into fourth place on the Yankees’ all-time home run list.
As chants of “M-V-P” filled the stadium, Judge kept his focus on the team’s main goal.
“Our goal to start the season ultimately is to go out there and win a World Series, get back there, but it starts by winning your division,” Judge said. “That’s our goal. We just got to keep it moving forward.”
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
