NEW YORK Aaron Judge is an outfielder whose legacy is still expanding. In the seventh inning of Sunday afternoon’s 8-7 victory against Texas, Judge launched his 42nd home run of the year off Rangers left-hander Andrew Chafin at Yankee Stadium.
“We won. It was yet another excellent one. Judge expressed his happiness at winning the series and going back to his winning ways.
Three pitches prior to Judge’s explosion, Juan Soto had launched his second game-winning and season-long home run. The Rangers scored three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth before Clay Holmes completed a four-out save, giving the Yankees an 8-3 advantage at the moment that proved to be critical.
It’s amazing every time Judge hits a home run. The pitch was hard outside the strike zone. The ball vanished,” stated Soto. “He is such a fantastic hitter,”
Judge was on track to hit 56 home runs this season going into the game, six short of the record he set in the American League in 2022. Judge has the potential to join Sammy Sosa (three) and Mark McGwire (two) as the only players with multiple seasons with 60 or more home runs.
This season, through 119 team games, Judge has slugged 42 home runs. In 2022, he played 46 games through that total number.
A home run short of 300 throughout his career, Judge participated in his 952nd professional game. In AL/NL history, the record number of games required to accomplish 300 career home runs is 1,087, established by Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner, who spent the most of his playing career with the Pirates from 1946 to 1953.
Manager Aaron Boone admitted, “I try to remind myself every now and then that I take him for granted.” “His magnificence… Every day, I get to see what he can accomplish and transform into the player he has become over there. It’s amazing.
Aaron Boone talks on winning offense and Holmes
Aaron Boone talks on winning offense and Holmes
Judge will only be concerned about achieving the milestone if the Yankees prevail in this game.
Judge stated, “[The numbers] are not what we play for.” “My only goal is to win for this squad and position them for success. I hope it results in victory. That would be truly unique.
Having batted in front of Judge for the majority of the season, Soto is aware that he will almost always get a hit.
“You must ensure that you are swinging, as they are not guiding you in any way,” Soto remarked. Hitting in front of him is always a pleasure. .. Like [the Rangers], they constantly attempt to attack the strike zone. They want to make sure they get me out of there before they face him, even though they know he is coming behind me. The lefty [Chafin for Judge] is abandoned. In the end, we performed our duties and contributed to the team’s victory in the game.
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