For the second consecutive month, the New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge earned MLB honors as the American League’s Player of the Month. He posted a .409/.514/.864 slash line with 11 home runs, 37 RBI, a .565 wOBA, and a 277 wRC+. The National League also had a repeat winner, with Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper taking home Player of the Month honors again after his May win.
Aaron Judge’s phenomenal pace
Even after his historic 2022 season, where he set a new American League single-season home run record with 62 homers, Aaron Judge is on pace for an even better season and might break his own record.
From May 4 to June 30, Aaron Judge has been on an extraordinary run, hitting .398/.507/.932 with a .580 wOBA, a 288 wRC+, and a 1.440 OPS. In the modern era of baseball (since 1901), only four other players have achieved an OPS that high over a 50-game span: Babe Ruth (five times, 1920-1921, 1923-1924, 1930), Lou Gehrig (1936), Ted Williams (1941), and Barry Bonds (four times, 2001-2004). Judge is the only right-handed hitter among these legends.
Aaron Judge’s 37 RBI in June is the highest for that month since Sammy Sosa’s 40 RBI in June 1998.
With this phenomenal stretch erasing his slow April start, Judge is in position to do something that hasn’t been achieved in 68 years: win the Major League Triple Crown. He currently leads MLB with a .321 batting average (alongside a .440 on-base percentage, .718 slugging percentage, and 1.158 OPS), 32 home runs, and 83 RBI. The last three Triple Crown winners (Miguel Cabrera in 2012, Carl Yastrzemski in 1967, and Frank Robinson in 1966) led their respective leagues in these categories, but the last to lead the majors in all three was Yankees legend Mickey Mantle in 1956.
In Tuesday’s game against the Cincinnati Reds, Aaron Judge continued his stellar form, going 3-for-4 with his 32nd home run of the year. This marks the third time in his career he’s hit at least 30 homers before the All-Star break.
Despite Aaron Judge’s outstanding performances, the Yankees are in a slump, having lost 12 of their last 17 games. While Judge has been phenomenal, he can’t carry the team alone.
The Bronx Bombers aim to turn things around against the Reds on Wednesday night, with their captain hoping his legendary play will start translating into wins.
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