Aaron Judge ties Roger Maris with his 61st home run

New York Yankees slugger ties the American League home run record

Aaron Judge’s incredible 2022 season rolled on Wednesday night, straight into history.

The New York Yankees slugger blasted his 61st home run of the campaign during New York’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, joining Roger Maris atop the American League record books.

The home run came in the top of the seventh inning, a two-run shot to break a game that was tied at three. The shot to left field came off left-handed pitcher Tim Mayza, on a 94-MPH sinker that was left up in the zone.

The blast must have delivered some relief for Judge, who was coming off a four-game series against the Boston Red Sox this past weekend that saw Judge go just 2 for 11 at the plate, with a double in Sunday night’s game. Judge was set to lead off for the Yankees in the bottom of the seventh Sunday night, but the game was eventually called due to weather. In the first two games of the series against the Blue Jays, Judge had been walked six times in his ten plate appearances.

But he broke through on Wednesday, tying Maris atop the AL record books the night after the Yankees clinched the AL East division title.

Judge’s seventh-inning blast also continues what has been a remarkable season for the slugger.

He entered play on Wednesday leading the major leagues in nearly every offensive category. As play began Wednesday, Judge led all of baseball in home runs (60), on-base percentage (.425), slugging percentage (.693), on-base plus slugging (1.119), adjusted OPS+ (212) and runs created (166). With 61 home runs on the year, Judge now stands 19 home runs head of Kyle Schwarber, who leads the National League with 42 home runs.

These numbers have Judge on track to win the American League Triple Crown, given to a player who leads the league in batting average, home runs, and RBI. Miguel Cabrera was the last player to win the Triple Crown, back during his Most Valuable Player season of 2012, when he hit 44 home runs, knocked in 139 runs, and posted a batting average of .330. Judge is just ahead of both Luis Arraez and Xander Bogaerts with a batting average of .314.

Speaking of MVP, the blast also likely moves Judge closer to securing those honors. Entering play on Wednesday, Judge’s Wins Above Replacement stood at 10.2, the highest mark since Mookie Betts posted a WAR of 10.0 back during the 2018 season.

Betts won AL MVP that year.

Judge now sets his sights on breaking the American League record. Whoever gets their hands on that baseball when Judge hits his 62nd home run might find it worth the effort. Last week JP Cohen, the President of Memory Lane Auctions, offered $2 million to whoever catches Judge’s 62nd home run:

May the odds be ever in your favor.