Aaron Judge could break the American League home run record again.
The New York Yankees slugger hit his 40th home run of the season on Friday, becoming the first player to do so in the majors this season.
He did it in style, launching it 477 feet into the left field stands 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 homer off Kevin Gausman, his sixth off the Toronto Blue Jays right-hander, to drive in his 100th run and 101st of the season.
Since May 3, Judge is hitting .377 with 34 home runs and a 1.338 OPS.
It's a big turnaround for Judge. On May 2, he was hitting just .197 and Yankees fans were clamoring for him to be benched.
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge celebrates hitting a home run during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday, Aug. 2, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
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Despite that woeful start, he still leads the majors in home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ and total bases. His .318 batting average is also third in baseball.
Judge is on pace to hit 58 home runs this season, and will likely join Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Alex Rodriguez as the only players in MLB history to hit 50 home runs 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 contract he signed after that season. His $40 million average annual value is the highest ever awarded to a position player, though teammate Juan Soto could surpass it this offseason.
That contract looked alarming last year because Judge missed part of the season with a toe injury after crashing into a concrete part of the Dodger Stadium outfield wall. He was hitting .291 with a 1.078 OPS at the time of the injury but 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 have much to worry about.
The Yankees have won five straight after an 11-24 skid followed by a 50-22 start. Entering Friday, they were tied with the Baltimore Orioles, who are also on a losing streak, for the AL East lead.
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