Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits 51st homer, keeps MVP and triple crown hopes alive
- August 25, 2024
- 3:35 pm
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Follow UsAs the New York Yankees concluded the series with a 10-3 victory in third game against the Colorado Rockies, Aaron Judge has once again captured the spotlight by smashing his 50th home run of the season, and an hour later, he belted his 51st.
The monumental hit came early in the game, during the first inning, when Aaron Judge launched a slider from Colorado pitcher Austin Gomber deep into center field, putting the Yankees ahead 2-1. But his second came in the seventh inning, extending the Yankees’ lead by 6-3.
Following the victory, Aaron Judge revealed that the energy was great when he, Stanton, and Soto hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, stating that Juan Soto set the tone for the win at Yankee Stadium.
‘A lot of great energy. We scored early, really set the tone, answered back there in the first, and then we kind of hit a lull for a little while, but then Juan goes out there and gets the party started, gives us an extra insurance run, and I think that really woke up the boys today,’ said Aaron Judge in an interview with Meredith Marakovits for YES Network after the game.
Aaron Judge joins elite club with third 50-homer season
At 32, Aaron Judge continues to carve out his legacy among the game’s all-time greats. His 50th and 51th home run this season adds to an already impressive list of achievements, including his historic 2022 campaign when he set the American League single-season home run record with 62, a feat that earned him the AL MVP award.
Aaron Judge is back in familiar territory, matching his record pace from 2022 with 51 home runs through 131 team games, but this time he’s taken it up a notch. Slashing an eye-popping .333/.465/.736, Judge has driven in 122 RBIs with 106 walks, resulting in an astonishing 226 wRC+.
This is the same Aaron Judge who burst onto the scene in 2017, smashing 52 home runs and earning AL Rookie of the Year honors. The Yankees slugger is proving once again that he’s built for the Bronx spotlight.
Earlier Aaron Judge had joined an elite group of sluggers with multiple 50-homer seasons, including Alex Rodriguez, who had a pair of 50-homer seasons with the Texas Rangers in 2001 and 2002, and hit 54 for the Yankees in 2007. Sammy Sosa managed four straight 50-homer seasons from 1998 to 2001, while Mark McGwire matched that feat from 1996 to 1999, including his remarkable 70-homer season in 1998. The legendary Babe Ruth achieved back-to-back 50-homer seasons in 1920-1921 and 1927-1928 with the Yankees, hitting 60 homers in 1927—a record that stood until Roger Maris hit 61 in 1961 for the Yankees. Judge broke Maris’ single-season AL record by hitting 62 in 2022.
Aaron Judge’s performance this season has him on track for a potential second AL MVP award and possibly even more. He’s a strong contender for the Triple Crown, one of baseball’s rarest and most prestigious achievements. As of Sunday, Judge leads the league in both home runs (50) and RBIs (121) and is second in batting average at .333, trailing only Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, who currently sits at .346.
With 32 games remaining in the regular season, Aaron Judge is well-positioned to surpass the 60-home run mark for the second time in his career—a feat accomplished by only a select few in baseball history. Should he achieve this, Aaron Judge would join Yankees legends Babe Ruth and Roger Maris as the only players in franchise history to hit 60 or more home runs in multiple seasons.
This season has already been one for the record books. Earlier in August, Aaron Judge became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 300 career home runs, accomplishing the feat in just 954 games. In doing so, he surpassed none other than Babe Ruth, who reached the same milestone in 3,428 at-bats.
As the Yankees and Rockies continue their battle on the field, all eyes remain on Aaron Judge. Fans and analysts alike are watching to see if he can further cement his place in baseball history as the season progresses. With the game still ongoing, Judge may yet add more to his already historic night, making it another chapter in what has been an extraordinary season.
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