Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers, is dealing with a peculiar problem involving a plaque that commemorates Aaron Judge‘s record-breaking 62nd home run in 2022. According to Yankees announcer Justin Shackil, the plaque has been stolen twice, and the Rangers have decided not to replace it again.
After the initial theft, the Rangers replaced the Aaron Judge plaque, but following the second incident, they’ve opted against reinstalling it. Now, only an empty spot with visible adhesive marks remains in front of section 31, row 1, seat 3 in the left-field stands—where Aaron Judge’s historic home run landed.
The plaque originally marked the location of Judge’s milestone home run on October 4, 2022, which set a new American League record, eclipsing Roger Maris’ 61-home run mark. Aaron Judge achieved the feat in the first inning off Rangers pitcher Jesus Tinoco.
To honor this momentous achievement, the Rangers placed a plaque on the concrete where the ball landed, a tribute shared on social media in April 2023. Dubbed “Judge’s seat,” the plaque recounted the date, game circumstances, and Aaron Judge’s record-breaking accomplishment.
The current status of the stolen plaque remains unknown, but speculation suggests it may have ended up in a private collection. Whoever possesses it would likely need to keep the item hidden due to its illicit acquisition.
As Aaron Judge returned to Texas recently, he had 51 home runs on the season, needing a significant power surge to match or break his previous record. Judge is currently in a home run drought, going 33 plate appearances and 27 at-bats without hitting one. In his latest outing against the Rangers, he went 1-for-5 with an RBI double.
To tie his single-season record, Aaron Judge would need to hit 11 home runs in the final 24 games, and 12 to set a new high mark. This daunting task looms as he faces the challenge of overcoming his recent slump in the season’s closing stretch.
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