Aaron Judge is not only the captain of the New York Yankees but the heart and soul of the offensive lineup. This year has been an extraordinary and surreal ride for the former MVP as his majestic numbers have touched the roof. Also, Judge continues to lead AL-MVP race by miles.
That being said, while Aaron Judge’s postseason performance has been underwhelming per se, that narrative could change this year. The New York Yankees captain recently showcased his majestic power against the Baltimore Orioles and, on the way, recreated an extraordinary history that could elevate the Yanks’ chances of winning the title.
Aaron Judge Brings Up 142 Season RBIs
New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge is putting together another historic season, further solidifying his place in baseball’s record books. The slugger recently blasted his 57th home run of the season in a ninth-inning rally against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Despite Judge’s late-game heroics, the Yankees ultimately fell short, losing 9-7. Regardless, the home run not only moved Judge closer to the 60-homer milestone but also brought his RBI total to 142, making him the first player since Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard in 2009 to record at least 140 RBI in a season. Notably, Judge’s remarkable season builds on his incredible 2022 campaign when he hit 62 home runs with 131 RBIa and essentially won the AL-MVP award.
However, this year, he’s gone even further, showcasing his all-around offensive dominance. Aaron Judge entered Wednesday leading the league in multiple categories, including walks (130), on-base percentage (.459), slugging percentage (.699), and total bases (383), thus adding brownie points to his already MVP-caliber season. Having said that, with only four regular-season games remaining, Judge is closing in on the magical 60-homer mark, a feat that would further enhance his strong candidacy for what would be his second MVP award. As far as the New York Yankees are concerned, they currently sit at 92-66, with their magic number to clinch the AL East standing at one. They have a chance to seal the division title on Thursday in a pivotal game against the Orioles, which will feature a marquee pitching matchup between Yankees ace Gerrit Cole and Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes.
Can Judge Touch The Iconic 60-HR Mark?
At some point in the season, Aaron Judge was on pace to surpass his 62-home runs tally with 63 projected homers. However, a 16-game home run drought played spoilsport. Regardless, the New York Yankees captain has regained form at the right time. He recently scored his 57th season home run on Wednesday, also his fourth consecutive homer of this week.
Hence, with four regular-season games remaining on the schedule, Aaron Judge can touch the 60-home run mark before the season ends. Whether he can surpass the all-time high tally or not is a different debate altogether. But only touching the 60-HR mark will put you in an elite category of legends. After Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, Judge will only be the third slugger in MLB’s history to have multiple 60+ homer seasons.
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