On a night when the Yankees‘ offense struggled to find its rhythm, Aaron Judge delivered both a game-changing moment and a heartfelt tribute.
In Friday’s 3-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers, Aaron Judge launched his 44th home run of the season, sending a 2-2 sinker 431 feet over the center field wall at Comerica Park. It was his second consecutive game with a homer, sparking the Yankees to their third straight win.
What made the moment even more special was Aaron Judge’s tribute to his roots. The Yankees captain sported custom Air Jordans emblazoned with the name and colors of his alma mater, Linden High School. The white, blue, and yellow shoes were a nod to where his baseball journey began, adding a personal touch to another record-setting night for the reigning AL MVP.
In addition to his shoes, Aaron Judge also used a bat featuring the same colors and the name of his high school.
Yankees heating up
For much of the night, the Yankees’ bats remained quiet, managing just four hits through seven innings. But with the game still scoreless in the eighth, Aaron Judge stepped up to the plate and delivered in a big way. His towering shot to center field broke the tie, giving New York the spark it needed to secure the win.
The home run continues Aaron Judge’s blistering pace, just days after he became the fastest player in AL/NL history to reach 300 career homers. Now with 44 home runs on the season, he remains 18 shy of matching the American League record of 62 homers, which he set in 2022. With 39 games left in the regular season, the Yankees captain is once again within striking distance of history.
Aaron Judge’s 2024 season has been filled with milestones and record-breaking moments, and Friday was another reminder of his greatness. But his tribute to Linden High School shows that no matter how high he climbs in Major League Baseball, Judge hasn’t forgotten where it all started.
Up next
With Friday’s victory, the Yankees are continuing to build momentum after a tough loss to the White Sox earlier this month. They’ll look to make it four in a row on Saturday, with the second game of the series against the Tigers set for a 1:10 p.m. ET start.
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