Aaron Judge now stands alone atop the American League record books.
Aaron Judge hits his 62nd home run, setting a new American League record
Judge passes Roger Maris atop the AL record books
Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Mark Schofield is a former college quarterback and attorney covering the NFL and F1.
The New York Yankees outfielder blasted his 62nd home run of the season Tuesday night, moving him one ahead of former Yankees slugger Roger Maris and into first place in AL history.
Judge’s blast came in the top of the first inning in Tuesday night’s game against the Texas Rangers at Choctaw Stadium. Judge, facing starting pitcher Jesús Tinoco, turned on an 88-MPH slider, rocketing it towards the left-field bleachers:
After Judge rounded the bases, he was mobbed at home plate by his teammates:
Judge’s parents were also on hand to watch their son set the record:
When the new AL home run king took the field in the bottom of the first, he received a warm ovation from the Texas fans:
Beyond the AL record, Judge is putting together a magical season across the board. At the moment Judge is leading the major leagues in nearly every offensive category. Currently, Judge leads all of baseball in home runs (62), on-base percentage (.426), slugging percentage (.686), on-base plus slugging (1.112), adjusted OPS+ (212) and runs created (170). With his 62 home runs, Judge now stands 16 home runs head of Kyle Schwarber, who leads the National League with 46 home runs.
Judge is also tracking down an 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.
But after his series with the Baltimore Orioles, that task faces a tougher climb.
If the season were to end today, Judge would miss out on the AL Triple Crown. Judge currently has a batting average of .311 on the season, while Luis Arraez of the Minnesota Twins checks in at .315, and Xander Boegaerts of the Boston Red Sox has a batting average of .305 on the year. Judge was leading heading into the series with Baltimore, but Arraez’s six hits in his past three games, combined with Judge’s recent struggles against the Orioles, have seen the Minnesota infielder climb into the lead.
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