The New York Yankees captain and formidable slugger Aaron Judge invoked an inner beast in May that was sleeping all through April. Judge went from a .178 batting average in April to being the best hitter in the AL in May. The turnaround has been as great as the player Judge is.
Aaron Judge’s dominance in the league began in his rookie year itself and peaked in 2022 when he won his first career AL-MVP with a historic home run record. That being said, while the start to 2024 season has been slow, with the help of latest resurgence, Aaron Judge is on pace to surpass his own record.
Aaron Judge Showing Signs Of A Repeat Of 2022 MVP Season
Aaron Judge, the powerhouse slugger and captain of the New York Yankees, is once again capturing the attention of baseball fans as he trends toward another home run record chase in 2024. Judge made the world stand and take notice of him in 2022 when he surpassed Roger Maris’ all-time high single-season home run tally by hitting 62 long hits to take the AL-MVP trophy home. That season changed Judge’s stature in the league as he suddenly became the face of the billion-dollar franchise overnight. Having said that, this season, Judge’s fortunes once again changed overnight as he produced a nuclear surge in May to get on the pace of a historic season.
With 21 home runs in the first 62 games, Aaron Judge is expected to finish with 55 home runs by the end of the season, given he lasts through the 162-game grind. Given the Yankees record this year, he can add more long shots to the tally in the postseason as well, which essentially means that Judge can surpass his own home runs record this year once again. A few metrics are also in Judge’s favor. He saw 45.7 percent of pitches in his strike zone in 2022, whereas the percentage has shown up to 48.4 percent this year. Notably, Judge has hit 262 of his 278 career homers come off pitches in the zone. Additionally, Judge’s standard flyball traveled 311 feet in 2022, whereas the distance increased to 318 feet in 2024. Overall, the captain’s red-hot form in 2024 has positioned him as a serious contender for another home run record chase.
Yankees Captain Leads League In MVP, Home Runs Lists
With a sensational stretch in May, New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is now leading AL-MVP odds as he surpassed teammate Juan Soto to take the lead in the early odds. Soto was more consistent in April. But Judge’s surge in May was groundbreaking, to say the least.
On the other hand, with an extraordinary home run spree in the 20 game stretch in May, Aaron Judge is now leading the league in season high home run tally with 21 long shots to his name in 62 games played. Judge recorded 11 home runs and 12 walks in 20 games stretch which is the best the league has every witness.
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