When it comes to power hitters in the 2022 campaign, New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has no rivals.
On Monday’s game against the New York Mets, he hit his 47th home run of the season.
Incredibly, he had been nine games without a long ball, but that drought is now a thing of the past.
“Aaron Judge’s 47th HR of the year snapped his season-long 9-game homerless drought. It was Judge’s 111th career HR at home, 2 shy of tying Mark Teixeira for the most HR hit at the current iteration of Yankee Stadium (est. 2009),” ESPN Stats & Info tweeted.
Aaron Judge's 47th HR of the year snapped his season-long 9-game homerless drought.
It was Judge's 111th career HR at home, 2 shy of tying Mark Teixeira for the most HR hit at the current iteration of Yankee Stadium (est. 2009). pic.twitter.com/JUNlIYaiF4
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 23, 2022
For those who have witnessed Judge’s 2022 performance, it’s hard to imagine him going nine games without a homer.
With his 47 blasts, he is 13 ahead of the second-placed Kyle Schwarber (34) and has 16 more than the closest American League foe, Yordan Alvarez.
A Race Towards History
When it comes to hitting, there is no competition: Judge is in a tier of his own.
He is vying, however, for a place in Yankees history.
The much-maligned Roger Maris knocked 61 balls out of the park in 1961, a franchise record for a single season that still stands.
Judge is currently on pace to hit 62 dingers, which would be a single-season record outside of the steroids era.
Barry Bonds hit 73 in 2001, then we have Mark McGwire‘s 70 and Sammy Sosa‘s 66 in that incredible 1998 season.
McGwire hit 65 in 1999, and Sosa had 64 in 2001 and 63 in 1999.
After that, we have Maris’ 61.
Being the home run king outside of the steroids era has got to have some special flavor to Judge, who is on the verge of becoming a free agent and, by virtue of his 2022 performance, a very rich man.
NEXT: The Yankees Achieved A Simple Goal Monday Night