Aaron Judge is doing everything in his power to be with the New York Yankees right now.
The guy suffered a torn toe ligament in early June, an injury that would take any player out for months.
In Judge’s case, it was more like weeks.
He ended up losing about seven weeks, and hasn’t missed a beat since returning.
On Wednesday, he had his first career three-homer game.
Yes, that might come as a shock given his enormous power, but it’s true.
He made some history in the process, joining a really talented list of hitters.
“Yankees with at least 3 HR in a game including a Grand Slam: Aaron Judge (Aug 23, 2023), Alex Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2005), Mike Stanley (Aug 10, 1995), Tony Lazzeri (May 24, 1936), Lou Gehrig (May 22, 1930),” stats expert Katie Sharp tweeted.
Yankees with at least 3 HR in a game including a Grand Slam:
Aaron Judge (Aug 23, 2023)
Alex Rodriguez (Apr 26, 2005)
Mike Stanley (Aug 10, 1995)
Tony Lazzeri (May 24, 1936)
Lou Gehrig (May 22, 1930)— Katie Sharp (@ktsharp) August 24, 2023
That’s some pretty good company right there.
One would think a guy so large and placing so much weight on his big toe ligaments would be struggling at the plate.
Judge, however, is sporting a good .250/.412/.579 line with a .991 OPS and eight home runs since making his long-awaited return.
If that’s not peak Aaron Judge, it’s really, really close.
We are talking about a generational power-hitting talent, a player so influential that he can change the outcome of a game with one swing.
In fact, Judge is fifth in the American League with home runs this season with 27.
He has done it by playing just 72 games.
All the players above him have at least 120 games played.
The Yankees will continue to build around Judge in upcoming seasons, hoping his toe returns to 100 percent health.
For now, if performance is any indication, it seems to be fine.
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