New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is turning 31 on Wednesday.
He is celebrating like a true baseball player: on the field.
The Yanks are playing the tough Minnesota Twins as they look to end a three-game losing streak.
Judge, as we know, is the team captain and the player from whom fans expect the most.
He will surely want to celebrate his birthday with a home run.
In case you were wondering, it wouldn’t be the first time he does that.
“Aaron Judge has homered twice on his birthday: 4/26/2017 at Boston (2-run); 4/26/2022 vs. Baltimore (solo),” Yankees insider Bryan Hoch tweeted.
Aaron Judge has homered twice on his birthday:
4/26/2017 at Boston (2-run)
4/26/2022 vs. Baltimore (solo)— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) April 26, 2023
2017 and 2022 happen to be Judge’s best seasons as a major leaguer.
In the former he won the AL Rookie of the Year award, hit 52 homers, and deserved to win MVP honors that ultimately went for Jose Altuve.
In 2022, he did win the MVP award and belted an AL-record 62 home runs.
Will he hit a home run on his birthday for a third time?
As of the moment of writing this piece on Wednesday afternoon, Judge was having a fantastic game but hadn’t left the yard.
He was 2-for-2 with a double and three RBI, plus a walk.
He entered the game with six round-trippers and a relatively modest .244/.337/.488 line.
His 126 wRC+ still indicates above-average offensive performance, 26 percent better than his peers.
It’s still far from the 207 wRC+ he posted last year, though.
The Yankees lineup had been dormant for a few games until Wednesday, before the offensive awakening against the Twins.
We know what Judge is capable of, but we are less certain about the rest of his lineup mates.
NEXT: The Yankees Offense Is Showing Severe Depth Issues
