Every night YES Broadcaster Michael Kay welcomes in the national audience who are waiting, like the Yankees fans are, for Aaron Judge to launch #61. I am lucky enough to have witnessed all of Judge's home runs this season. Each one of them, special. Each one of them, powerful and purposeful, as Judge, got his team off to a great start, single-handedly carried his team through the toughest days of August and now into the dog days of September. As we all wait for #61, let's take a look at some of his more memorable home runs in 2022.
Judge blasted his first home run of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays' José Berríos, ironically the starting pitcher of Tuesday night's game. That home run came on April 13th and went 413 feet. "New York ended the first month of the season on a seven-game winning streak and Judge was a catalyst. Five of his six April home runs came in those seven victories." reported The Athletic.
Judge started off May with a huge 453 foot home run against the Kansas City Royals and had one of the most impressive home runs in June against Los Angeles Angels pitcher Shohei Ohtani, smashing a slider over the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium for No. 19 on the season.
His longest home run of the season happened in Camden Yards on July 22. Judge drove a pitch from Tyler Wells 465 feet over the left-center-field wall. And how about some walk-off home runs? Judge has had three walk-off home runs this season, most recently on July 28 against the Royals.
“You feel it pre-pitch, like walking up to the plate and the walk-up song plays and the crowd is gonna get crazy,” Judge said afterward, when asked about handling the pressure of a big moment. “Then once you step into the box and dig in and take a deep breath, it doesn’t go silent, but you just kind of lock it in," said Judge following his walk off home run against Houston on June 26th.
His bat went quiet along with his teams for a lot of August, but he picked up as the month rolled on and since September, Judge has been on a tear. He was on fire against the Yankees nemesis The Tampa Bay Rays, and launched some fiery bombers in Fenway, with his "10th multi-HR game of the season, tying him for third-most in a season in MLB history" on September 13th, reported The Athletic.
Judge hit two against the Brewers (58 and 59) and on September 20th, Judge became the third-fastest player to reach 60 home runs. That electric night, last Tuesday night was against the Pittsburgh Pirates—his home run ignited a ninth-inning Yankee comeback in a must-win game.
Judge is still chasing #61. And although he makes it look easy with what appears to be an effortless swing, his at bats are anything but easy. He is working 3-2 counts, mashing base hits and carrying his team in both batting average and RBIs. He is on the verge of a triple crown season, but he remains one home run short of tying Roger Maris. Judge is chasing history and eventually, he will get there.
We have waited for a season like this for so long and we got it. The Yankees clinched the AL East in their victory against the Blue Jays on Tuesday. And for Judge, his 61st home run swing will come too—we just have to wait.
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--Suzie Pinstripe
BYB Senior Managing Editor
Twitter: @suzieprof
Could anyone tell me why Maris Jr has to follow Judge at every at bat. Give the guy some space if he breaks the record congratulate him from afar.
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