New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge continues to solidify his place in baseball history, hitting his 50th and 51st home runs of the season on Sunday against the Colorado Rockies. In the first inning, Judge connected with an 0-2 slider from pitcher Austin Gomber, sending it to center field and giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
Judge, now 32 years old, has reached the 50-home-run milestone for the third time in his career. The last time he accomplished this feat was in 2022 when he set the single-season American League home run record with 62 homers, a performance that earned him the AL MVP award.
The veteran slugger added his 51st home run in the seventh inning as part of a powerful offensive display, with the Yankees hitting three consecutive home runs. Juan Soto, Judge, and Giancarlo Stanton all homered off Rockies reliever Jeff Criswell, leading the Yankees to a 10-3 victory over Colorado.
Judge first hit 50 home runs during his debut full season with the Yankees in 2017, a year in which he made the AL All-Star team, won AL Rookie of the Year, led the league in home runs, and claimed a Silver Slugger Award. His 2024 season is shaping up to be just as impressive, setting him up as the favorite for his second AL MVP award and potentially MLB’s first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012—and only the second since 1967.
Judge currently leads all players in home runs (51) and RBIs (122) and holds the second-highest batting average (.334). The only player standing between Judge and the Triple Crown is Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr., who has a slight edge with a .347 batting average. With 32 games remaining in the regular season, Judge is well-positioned to hit 60 home runs for the second time in his career. If he accomplishes this, he would become the first Yankee to hit 60 or more homers in multiple seasons, joining legends Babe Ruth and Roger Maris in the exclusive 60-homer club.
Earlier this month, Judge became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 300 career home runs, achieving the milestone in just 954 games. He also surpassed Yankees icon Babe Ruth by reaching 300 homers in 3,428 at-bats, outpacing Ruth’s record of 3,830 at-bats.
As the season progresses, all eyes will be on Judge as he continues his pursuit of another historic achievement, cementing his legacy as one of the game’s greatest power hitters.