Aaron Judge through his first 80 games in 2022: 30 home runs.
Aaron Judge through his first 80 games in 2024: 30 home runs.
He’s doing it again.
The Yankees captain smacked what has just about become his daily home run, a two-run shot, that represented the entirety of his club’s offense in a 12-2 loss to the Mets at Citi Field on Wednesday.
Judge’s incredible tear in what has become another incredible (and possibly historic) season continued in the sixth inning when he reversed a Danny Young sweeper that left his bat at 112.3 mph for a rocket over the left-field wall.
He also singled on a night he finished 2-for-2 with a walk before Trent Grisham replaced him, the game becoming a rout.
Judge did not appear thrilled that Aaron Boone subbed him out in the eighth inning of a game the Yankees trailed, 11-2, but he downplayed the decision afterward.
“I want every at-bat. The game is never over,” Judge said. “I want every at-bat, but the manager makes the call. I wasn’t upset at all.”
The American League leader in home runs, RBIs (77), OPS (1.145) and most categories you can think of has blasted five homers in his past eight games and nine in his past 15.
The latest one marked career home run No. 287, which tied Bernie Williams for seventh on the all-time franchise list.
In hitting No. 30 on the season, he became the fourth player in MLB history to drill 30 before the All-Star break on three separate occasions.
His company: Mark McGwire (who did so four times), Ken Griffey Jr. and Babe Ruth.
Even fellow superstars are being left behind as Judge enters his own stratosphere.
Shohei Ohtani’s 1.045 OPS is 100 points behind.
“It’s hard to wrap your brain around now, just what level he’s playing at,” Boone said before the game. “Especially in this time of the game, where it’s really hard to hit. We’re at about a .700 OPS league average probably right now, and to see him [100] points higher than Ohtani, and that’s off the heels of a rough April.
“It’s just really impressive.”