Aaron Judge is continuing his incredible streak as one of the hottest hitters in baseball. On Saturday, the Yankees captain hit his 41st home run of the season in the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays. This home run puts Judge on track to become the fastest player ever to reach 300 career home runs, currently held by Ralph Kiner, who achieved the feat in 1,087 games. Judge, who has played in only 945 games, is closing in on that milestone.
Judge expressed his appreciation for batting behind teammate Juan, noting how Juan’s ability to work the count and show different pitches helps him as well. “It’s been a treat getting a chance to hit behind Juan, watching at-bat after at-bat,” Judge said. “He’s working the count, he’s letting me see a bunch of different pitches. He’s making the pitcher work, which helps me out when I step in the box.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is also full of praise for Judge, comparing him to legendary figures in baseball history like Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio. “We’re watching greatness,” Boone said. “You try not to take that for granted, what we’re seeing No. 99 do. You hear a lot of The Babe, Mantle, Gehrig, DiMaggio — those kinds of names intertwined with a lot of things he’s doing. You try to appreciate every now and then what we have.”