Yankees
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, left, and Angels star Shohei Ohtani are the frontrunners for the 2022 AL MVP award. (Adam Hunger; Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been on the sidelines since June 3 as he recovers from a torn ligament injury. His dominating run with the bat was put to a halt. Meanwhile, recently, the slugger has ramped up his field activities. He is hitting, running, and participating in all kinds of training drills but without a return timeline.

Despite being on the sidelines, Aaron Judge has managed to grab headlines. Los Angeles Angels star two-way player Shohei Ohtani is in the midst of a fantastic run with the bat. He is currently leading the American League home run tally with a streak of towering hits. Not only that, Ohtani is inching closer to an all-time high league record which is currently under the Yankees captain’s belt.

   

Aaron Judge Reacts To The Possibility Of Shohei Ohtani Breaking His 62-Home Run Record

Yankees
Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Judge instilled his name in the history books of MLB last year by hitting 62 home runs to surpass an all-time high league record. However, if you think that was something astonishing, the current run of Angels star Shohei Ohtani is a level beyond it. He is currently leading AL’s home run tally with 35 towering hits to his name. At this pace, he is projected to hit 59 home runs by the end of the season, three less than Aaron Judge’s record. However, in a game of baseball, scoring multiple homers in a single game for a player like Ohtani is not a big deal. All things considered, Ohtani stands a real chance at breaking Judge’s all-time high league record.

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge, whose historic record remains under threat, has shared his take on Ohtani’s current dream run. He said that records are meant to be broken. Judge feels such a thing makes the sport even more exciting. Moreover, if Ohtani manages to break the record, the Yankees slugger will take it as an opportunity to produce something even more special. Judge feels that he still has a few years left in the game, which will allow him to edge past Ohtani in the future. Having said that, for now, the record remains the least of Judge’s concern. Lastly, he wished Shohei Ohtani all the luck and is looking forward to witnessing his accomplishment.

Judge Take Yet Another Crucial Step In Recovery Process!

Aaron Judge
Sports Illustrated

In the past few weeks, Aaron Judge has ramped up his fielding activities to a great extent. He took multiple live BPs and participated in field drills. However, running at full capacity still remains a substantial obstacle. Amid this, Greg Joyce of the New York Post posted a massive update. Prior to the series finals vs. Angels, Judge apparently ran bases for the first time since the crash at Dodgers Stadium.

It is a massive step. Aaron Judge has time and again emphasized how running remains the biggest obstacle in his recovery process. Earlier, Aaron Boone, the Yanks manager, also confirmed that Judge’s return remains “close.” The team wants him to clear some final hurdles to determine if he is game ready. Hence, by the early look of it, the captain should be back by next month, hopefully!