Aaron Judge becomes first player to hit 40 home runs this season with 477-foot blast
Judge is on pace for 58 home runs
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Aaron Judge might break the American League home run record again.
The New York Yankees slugger belted his 40th home run of the season Friday, becoming the first player to do so in the majors this season.
He did it in grand style, launching it 477 feet into the left field bleachers at Yankee Stadium.
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New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)
It was a two-run blast off Kevin Gausman, the sixth he's hit off the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander, to drive in his 100th and 101st runs of the season.
Since May 3, Judge is hitting .377 with 34 home runs and a 1.338 OPS.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It's quite a turnaround for Judge. On May 2, he was hitting just .197, and Yankee fans were clamoring for him to be benched.
The New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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Despite that pitiful start, he still leads the major leagues in homers, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and total bases. His .318 batting average is also third in baseball.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Judge is on pace for 58 home runs this season, and he is likely to join Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez as the only players in MLB history to hit 50 homers in three different seasons.
But his 162-game pace since May 5 is 72, so the record he set in 2022 with 62 homers is within reach.
Judge is in the second year of a nine-year, $360 million deal he signed after that season. His $40 million annual average value is the most ever given to a position player, although teammate Juan Soto might surpass that this offseason.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That contract looked scary last year because Judge missed a chunk of the season due to a toe injury after crashing into a concrete portion of the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium. He was hitting .291 with a 1.078 OPS at the time of the injury, but he hit just .238 after returning.
New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) celebrates his two-run home run against the Toronto Blue Jays with right fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning at Yankee Stadium. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports)
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But it doesn't seem like fans need to worry much anymore.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Yankees have won five straight after going on an 11-24 skid to follow a 50-22 start. Entering Friday, they were tied with the Baltimore Orioles, who are on a skid of their own, for the AL East lead.
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