New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge hits 50th home run, becoming 10th MLB player to do it twice

ANAHEIM — A 434-foot drive off Angels reliever Ryan Tepera etched Aaron Judge’s title within the main league historical past books Monday night time, because the New York Yankees slugger grew to become solely the 10th player in MLB historical past to document a number of 50-home run seasons.

A sold-out Angel Stadium crowd of 44,537 — one which included his dad and mom and loads of Yankees followers — cheered on the California-born Judge with an “M-V-P!” chorus as he circled the bases following his eighth-inning solo blast that bounced off the left-center-field waterfall and trimmed New York’s deficit to one in a 4-3 loss.

Judge is now on tempo to hit 63 home runs this season, assuming he performs in each remaining Yankee recreation.

“It’s just another number,” said Judge, who was intentionally walked twice Monday before going deep. “It’s nice, however I’m sort of upset we misplaced. It’s an in depth recreation we may’ve gained.”

In 2017, throughout his Rookie of the Year marketing campaign, Judge smashed 52 lengthy balls, setting a rookie document that was damaged two years later when Pete Alonso hit 53 for the New York Mets.

Judge now joins Babe Ruth (4) and Mickey Mantle (2) because the third member of the storied Yankees franchise to have had a number of 50-homer seasons whereas sporting pinstripes. Alex Rodriguez had one such season whereas taking part in for the Yankees (2007, with 54 HRs) and two others as a member of the Texas Rangers.

There have been 10 50-HR seasons by Yankees gamers, essentially the most of any franchise in MLB historical past, with the following closest workforce being the Chicago Cubs (5). No different franchise has extra that two.

Judge turns into solely the seventh player in MLB historical past to hit 50 home runs earlier than the beginning of September; the final player to do so was present teammate Giancarlo Stanton, who had recorded 51 home runs by Aug. 29 throughout his 59-homer 2017 National League MVP season with the Miami Marlins.

“It’s 50, and it’s August,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned. “It’s hard to wrap your mind around just how incredible of a season he’s had to this point. The one time they pitch to him he hits it off a rock. It’s really special what he’s doing.”

“It’s going to be a fun last month to see what he can do,” added Stanton. “I think he’s going to do something incredible. He already has. We’ve got a month more to watch.”

The 6-foot-7 Judge, who’s batting 293/.393/.665 with 110 RBIs, is chasing the single-season Yankees document of 61 home runs established by Roger Maris in 1961. Maris had recorded 51 homers by the tip of August throughout his legendary 1961 season.

“I’m not downplaying it; I just don’t like talking numbers,” Judge mentioned. “We can talk about numbers and all that kind of stuff when the season’s over with, we can review it, but for right now most important thing for me is getting some wins.”

The Angels held off the Yankees with the assistance of two-way star and reigning American League MVP Shohei Ohtani, who broke a 2-all tie within the fifth inning together with his twenty ninth homer, a two-run drive to right-center. According to Caesars Sportsbook, coming into Monday night time Judge (-900) and Ohtani (+600) had the shortest odds to win AL MVP this 12 months, adopted by Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez (+8000) and Houston’s Yordan Alvarez (+8000).

There had been loads of Yankees followers in attendance, so many who Judge known as it a “home away from home” and boos were audible each time the Angels walked him intentionally. But it was a fun atmosphere for Ohtani, too. Even if the MVP chants were for Judge.

“It feels rewarding to find a way to play in entrance of a crowd like this,” Ohtani mentioned by a workforce consultant. “It doesn’t matter who they are cheering for, I was able to have a lot of fun playing.”

There’s a video that’s gone viral on social media which shows Judge in a batting cage and predicting he’s going to hit 50 home runs. His prediction was right on the number, he just had the wrong year.

“Man, that video is a pair years previous,” Judge mentioned. “I used to be just a little late on that one. I missed it no matter 12 months that was, may need been ’19. Like I mentioned, I attempt not to take into consideration it. The offseason, you possibly can dream. You write down objectives and stuff you need to accomplish in the course of the 12 months, however as soon as the season begins you are out right here competing. It’s about making an attempt to lock down as many wins as you possibly can.”

ESPN Stats & Information and The Associated Press contributed to this report.