The New York Yankees love seeing Aaron Judge hitting the balls long for homers. Over the years, the California native has proved that he is one of the best power hitters the game has ever seen. Since his MLB debut back in 2017, the outfielder has displayed his love for hitting home runs for fun. In his very first season in the major league, he was able to hit over 50 home runs. He had the record for the best rookie performance in terms of home runs until Pete Alonso broke it two years later. But the most memorable season for Aaron Judge was in 2022 when he broke the American League record, surpassing Roger Maris (61 HRs in 1961).
The California native was able to hit 62 homers that year. Eventually, he won the AL MVP that year because of the record. Later, the New York Yankees signed a nine-year contract extension worth $360 million with him. They also made the six-time All-Star outfielder their 16th captain. In 2024, the Yankees captain became the fastest MLB player to reach the 300 Home Run milestone. Everything seemed to go his way, as he was the clear choice for the 2024 AL MVP. But then his longest career home run drought happened.
16-Game Homerless Streak Is The Longest For Aaron Judge
The Yankees captain did not have a great start this year. He was going through an early season slump. Moreover, he took seven games to hit his first home run. In the month of April, Aaron Judge was really struggling. It raised concerns in the Bronx. But then came the month of May, which saw the 2022 AL MVP get back to the beast mode. Who could predict that the Yankees captain would become the first hitter in 2024 to reach 50 home runs after the start he had in April? But he really did. On August 25, 2024, Aaron Judge hit his 50th & 51st home runs of the season in a game against the Colorado Rockies.
He was on pace to hit 63 home runs this year, breaking his own record in the league. Until August 25, the California native was by far the obvious choice for the 2024 AL MVP. However, since August 26, it has been a stretch of 16 games, which saw Judge remain homerless. It has been the longest home run drought of the six-time All-Star. Now, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals is closing in on the MVP race against the 2022 AL MVP. Moreover, right before the playoffs, the Yankees will need their captain in his very best element.
Yankees Manager Doesn’t Seem Too Worried About Judge’s Slump
Aaron Boone says it is all about hitting, and that way the captain is still among the very best. The manager tries to point out the fact that Aaron Judge is having a historic season in 2024. However, even in such a historic season, the captain can go through certain tough phases.
Nonetheless, Boone says that the California native is putting together a season to remember. On top of that, the skipper said, “I’m confident that Judge will soon get things rolling and be the usual dominant player that he is.” Aaron Boone looks forward to seeing when the team can “Hop on again.”
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