Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees captain, shook up MLB in 2022 when he hit 62 home runs to surpass Roger Maris’ all-time high league record. His 62nd home run came against the Texas Rangers, which earned Judge a place in the books of MLB history. Not only that, owing to the record, the slugger earned his first-ever career American League MVP award.
Captain Judge’s 2022 offensive season was nothing short of a dreamy run. It will forever be remembered as one of the best offensive seasons in the league’s history. However, it’s been barely 365 days since the record was scripted, and Judge already has a challenger. Angels two-way player Shohei Ohtani is racing towards the Yankees captain’s ultimate record. But will he reach there in time?
Shohei Ohtani Needs To Play His Best Baseball To Surpass Aaron Judge’s Legacy
Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani is making a name for himself despite being a part of a lowly team. Since the start, he has been on a home run-hitting spree. As of this writing, Ohtani stands at 40 long hits in 114 games. He is five homers behind Aaron Judge’s 2022 season pace. At this point last year, Judge had hit 45 long hits, which eventually went on to 62. So the question is, can Ohtani edge past the Yankees captain to claim the ultimate home run record? Theoretically, it’s possible. But at the same time, realistically, it’s less likely.
So here’s the play. Angeles has 46 games remaining on the schedule, and Shohei Ohtani is currently hitting one home run in every 10.63 at-bats. If the two-way phenom wants to attain the magical figure, he has to average one home run every eight at-bats. It’s a tough ask for even a potent player like Ohtani. Also, history works against the Angeles Wonder. He has never had more than 19 home runs in a 46-game stretch in his career. Also, since Ohtani is pitching and hitting at the same time, his body is taking a lot of toll. He is often experiencing cramps and fatigue. Hence, Angeles might choose to bench him for a couple of games, which further lowers his odds. Ultimately, surpassing the Yankees cap Aaron Judge’s home run record will require Shohei Ohtani to bring out his elite baseball skills.
Shohei Ohtani Surpasses Yankees Legend’s Unique Record
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has just broken another record previously held by New York Yankees legend Babe Ruth. Ohtani has drawn a lot of comparisons to Babe Ruth in the past owing to his two-way skills. This time, the Angeles star surpassed the Yankee legend. On Wednesday, Ohtani secured their 10th win of the season by handing over a 4-1 loss to Chicago White Sox.
With that, Shohei Ohtani has become the first player in the league’s history to have multiple seasons to record 10 wins and hit 10 home runs. Even in 2022, the Angeles star came close by recording 15-9 as a pitcher and 34 homers as a slugger. However, this time around, he managed to cross the finish line and secured another legendary record to his name.