Aaron Judge's Record-Tying 61st Home Run Celebrated by MLB Twitter, Yankees Fans
Sep 29, 2022
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 28 - New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) hits his 61st home run, a two run shot, of the season to tie Roger Maris as the Toronto Blue Jays play the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre in Toronto. September 28, 2022. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge made history Wednesday night, hitting his 61st home run to tie Roger Maris for the most homers in American League history.
Judge's historic blast came on a two-run shot in the seventh inning to break a 3-3 tie. In a season where Judge has carried the Yankees on his back, he delivered yet again, but this time he did so in grand fashion.
It had been seven games since Judge last hit a home run, so many had wondered if the quest for No. 61 was getting to him. He put those questions to rest with one swing on Wednesday.
MLB Twitter lit up with celebratory messages for the 30-year-old after his monumental moment:
Fun fact: Aaron Judge 6️⃣1️⃣ home runs are tied with Roger Maris who did it 6️⃣1️⃣ years ago in the year 196️⃣1️⃣.@TheMLBMusepic.twitter.com/RMuJKQjg34
In a season where he will almost single-handedly drag this Yankee team to the playoffs, of COURSE Aaron Judge's 61st came, late in the game, to give his team the lead
Judge bet on himself when he turned down a $213.5 million contract extension from the Yankees prior to this season. His gamble paid off, as he is in the running for the Triple Crown as he leads the AL in batting average, home runs and RBI.
The Yankees are surely hoping Judge chooses to stay put, but the price to keep him undoubtedly went up after Thursday.
Yankees' Aaron Judge Ties Roger Maris' Single-Season AL Home Run Record With No. 61
Sep 29, 2022
BOSTON, MA - SEPTEMBER 13: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees runs the bases after hitting a home run during the eighth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on September 13, 2022 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge slugged his 61st home run of the season Wednesday against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying the record held by Yankees legend Roger Maris for the most home runs by an American League player in a single season.
61 years since 61.
Aaron Judge has written his name alongside Roger Maris in baseball's record books. pic.twitter.com/1V4Gums34C
Judge's historic blast came off left-hander Tim Mayza in the seventh inning of the Yankees' road game at Rogers Centre to give his team a 5-3 lead.
Maris stood alone as the AL single-season home run king for 61 years, as he smashed 61 homers during the 1961 campaign, surpassing the record of another Yankees great in Babe Ruth, who hit 60 home runs in 1927.
While Maris' single-season MLB record was broken by both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in 1998, and then Barry Bonds in 2001 with a still-standing record of 73, no AL player was able to match him until now.
The 30-year-old Judge has been on a torrid pace all year, and it has come in the final year of his contract as he looks to cash in with the Yankees or perhaps even another team in free agency during the offseason.
Maris won his second of two consecutive AL MVP awards in 1961, and Judge is now a contender to win his first AL MVP award this season.
The Yankees have dealt with several significant injuries to their lineup and pitching staff this season, which made them go from a historic winning pace in the first half to fighting to hang on to the AL East lead during the second half.
While many of the Yanks' top players have been on and off the injured list, Judge has been the one constant, appearing in his most games since playing 155 in 2017.
Judge hit 52 homers in 2017 en route to being named AL Rookie of the Year and finishing second in the AL MVP voting, but he has reached a new level in 2022, firmly establishing himself as the face of baseball.
There is some uncertainty ahead for Judge in terms of his contract and the Yankees in terms of whether they will truly be able to contend for a World Series this season, but Judge's 2022 campaign is now cemented in history regardless of what the future holds.
Yankees Clinch AL East with 5-2 Win vs. Blue Jays
Sep 28, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Josh Donaldson #28 of the New York Yankees is congratulated by teammates Harrison Bader #22,Gleyber Torres #25,Anthony Rizzo #48 and Aaron Judge #99 after Donaldson drove in the game winning run in the 10th inning at Yankee Stadium on September 22, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. The New York Yankees defeated the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in 10 innings. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are American League East champions for the first time since 2019.
Thanks to their 5-2victory over the Toronto Blue Jayson Tuesday, the Yankees clinched the division title.
The Yankees already clinched a playoff berth with their 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sept. 22. This is the sixth consecutive year the Bronx Bombers will be in the postseason.
There was a little bit of sweating among Yankees fans about their team's division lead down the stretch this season. They have struggled since the All-Star break with a 31-31record, which coincided with their lead in the AL East going from a season-high 15.5 games on July 8 to as little as 3.5 games on Sept. 9.
That period of struggling did overshadow what was a fantastic first half for the Yankees that allowed them to open up a significant lead in the AL East. Their 64-28 record mark before the All-Star break was the best in Major League Baseball.
In the midst of the team-wide issues, Aaron Judge was able to keep the train on the tracks for the most part before they started to turn things around in September. The AL MVP frontrunner entered Tuesday's contest hitting .364/.506/.818 with 27 homers and 58 RBI in his last 60 games since July 21.
This marks the 21st AL East title for the Yankees, including 15 since MLB adopted the three-division-per-league format in 1995. They haven't gone more than five seasons between division titles in the past 27 years.
The Yankees are also in position to benefit from the new playoff format, which rewards the top two division winners in each league with a bye to the Division Series. They have the second-best record in the American League behind only the Houston Astros.
The last time the Yankees won the AL East in 2019, they advanced to the American League Championship Series before losing to the Astros in six games. They are seeking their first World Series appearance since 2009.
Report: Yankees Threatened to Pull Aaron Judge If Red Sox Game Resumed After Delay
Sep 27, 2022
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 26 - New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) takes batting practice as the Toronto Blue Jays play the New York Yankees at Rogers Centre in Toronto. September 26, 2022. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge was at the center of a game of tug of war between Yankees manager Aaron Boone and ESPN, according to NJ Advance Media's Brendan Kuty.
The Bronx Bombers were awarded a 2-0 six-inning win over the Boston Red Sox following a lengthy rain delay Sunday.
Kuty reported ESPN "pressured MLB officials to wait out an already long and particularly nasty rain delay" so it could potentially broadcast Judge's 61st home run. However, the Red Sox and Yankees were both making the case to call the contest based on the weather forecasts.
Likewise, Boone expressed concerns for the health of his players if they were to return to a wet Yankee Stadium surface.
"Boone made it known that he was considering all options to keep his players safe—and that included the very real possibility of pulling Judge out of the game despite the fact he was due up to hit as soon as the delay ended, the first person said," per Kuty.
Judge's pursuit of the American League home run record is one of the biggest stories in baseball. The veteran slugger has been stuck on 60 homers since Sept. 20 and has 10 more games to match or eclipse Roger Maris' single-season mark from 1961.
Naturally, MLB and its media partners want to make sure as many fans as possible can see Judge. ESPN even went so far as to use a split screen to air his at-bats live last Saturday.
Under the circumstances, pushing to have the Yankees and Red Sox resume their encounter might have been counterproductive, though.
Kuty noted how there was some belief the action could restart around 12:30 a.m. ET. A lot of people in attendance will have already left Yankee Stadium by that point, and even more television viewers will have gone to bed.
Even if ESPN had gotten its wish, Boone held the ultimate trump card, and he apparently wasn't afraid to use it.
Vintage Memorabilia Company Preemptively Offers $2M for Aaron Judge's 62nd HR Ball
Sep 23, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 21: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees grounds out against Miguel Yajure #89 of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the seventh inning during their game at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
If Aaron Judge breaks the American League home run record, a vintage memorabilia company is already prepared to make an offer to buy the ball.
Per Darren Rovell of the Action Network, Memory Lane Inc. is offering $2 million if the New York Yankees star gets to 62 homers before the end of the regular season.
$2 million: The price offered by @MemoryLaneInc for Judge Home Run Ball No. 62. Memorabilia dealer @RickProbstein had previously offered $200,000.
Ken Goldin of Goldin Auctions told Rovell earlier this week that Judge's 62nd home run and whatever the "all-time final home run ball" ends up being would both be worth $500,000.
Chris Brigandi of Brigandi Coins & Collectibles was more optimistic. He told Rovell the 61st homer that ties an American League record could be worth $2 million and No. 62, surpassing Roger Maris' AL mark set in 1961, could be valued between $5-10 million.
The potential for a $2 million payout does present an intriguing dilemma for the fan who catches the ball, assuming Judge gets to the mark.
The fan who caught Judge's 60th homer earlier this week traded the ball for a fairly lackluster package. Michael Kessler exchanged it for a meet-and-greet with Judge in the Yankees' clubhouse, four autographed baseballs and a signed bat that wasn't the one used to hit the homer.
Kessler did explain he wanted to make sure Judge had the ball because of all he's done for the Yankees over the years.
The fan who caught Aaron Judge's 60th home run ball wanted Judge to have it to celebrate his accomplishment 👏
Judge joined Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire as the only players in MLB history to hit at least 60 homers in a single season.
The four-time All-Star has 13 games left in the regular season to add to his total.
Report: Goldman Sachs Hired to Assess Orioles Sale amid Angelos Family Lawsuits
Sep 23, 2022
387419 04: Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos at the historic game between the Cuban National baseball team and the Baltimore Orioles at LatinoAmericana Stadium in Havana, Cuba March 28, 1999. The game was the first appearance by a United States baseball team in Cuba in 40 years. (Photo by Mario Tama
Amid ongoing lawsuits between the Angelos family, the Baltimore Orioles hired Goldman Sachs to assess the franchise for a potential sale.
Per The Athletic's Daniel Kaplan, the team "quietly" made the hire because of the "ongoing bitter lawsuits between members of the Angelos family."
Kaplan noted the future of the Orioles ownership is "up in the air" with Peter Angelos currently ailing at 93 years old.
Tim Prudente and Justin Fenton of the Baltimore Banner reported in June that Louis Angelos is suing his brother, John, and mother, Georgia.
In the lawsuit, Louis claimed his father intended for the two brothers to control the Orioles together, but John manipulated his mother and restructured Peter's trust to gain full power and potentially move the franchise to Tennessee.
"John intends to maintain absolute control over the Orioles—to manage, to sell or, if he chooses, to move to Tennessee (where he has a home and where his wife’s career is headquartered)—without having to answer to anyone," the lawsuit states.
John issued a statement on June 13 denying that relocation was a possibility, saying the Orioles will "never leave" Baltimore.
In a separate statement released two days later, Georgia said John "has my full faith as well as the trust and confidence of Major League Baseball, commissioner Rob Manfred, MLB’s executive leadership group and the control persons of the 29 other MLB clubs who voted to approve John as the Orioles control person."
Last month, Steve Lash of the Daily Record reported Georgia filed a lawsuit in Baltimore County Circuit Court accusing Louis of "bitterness or his misplaced resentment" of his older brother.
Georgia's lawsuit seeks to confirm her as sole power of attorney for Peter and to have Louis removed "as a successor agent and hold him liable for breach of fiduciary duty, financial exploitation of Peter, an older and susceptible adult, and conversion."
According to Kaplan, there's no certainty that the Orioles will be put up for sale, but John and Georgia are "definitely evaluating options."
A status conference hearing is scheduled for Sept. 28.
Peter Angelos and a group of investors purchased the Orioles from Eli Jacobs for $173 million in 1993. He established a trust with his wife and two sons in 2017 after suffering a heart issue.
John is listed as chairman and CEO of the franchise on the Orioles' official website.
Barry Bonds Wants Yankees' Aaron Judge to Break HR Record, Hopes Giants Sign Star
Sep 23, 2022
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 22: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees is walked by Michael Wacha #52 of the Boston Red Sox (not pictured) during the first inning at Yankee Stadium on September 22, 2022 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Major League Baseball's single-season home run record holder is rooting for Aaron Judge to surpass his mark and leave the New York Yankees in free agency.
In a phone interview with Barry M. Bloom of Sportico, Barry Bonds said he would like Judge to "go for" his record of 73 homers and then see the San Francisco Giants land him via free agency in the offseason.
"I hope he signs here," Bonds said. "Can it happen? I don't know. It depends on what the Yankee payroll is. But we would love to have him, I'll tell you that."
Judge has hit 60 home runs with 13 games remaining in the regular season. He became the sixth player in MLB history to reach 60 homers with his solo shot in the ninth inning of Tuesday's 9-8 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bonds set his mark in 2001. The seven-time National League MVP didn't seem like he was too protective of the record in his interview with Bloom.
"The way [Judge] swings, he might as well hit one a day and get past me," Bonds said. "I don't care. Why not?"
Judge needs to hit two more homers to break Roger Maris' American League record of 61, which the Yankee set in 1961. While Judge's pursuit of history is on everyone's mind right now, his pending free agency is hovering over the Yankees.
There's no doubt Judge has increased his value and leverage with his performance. The four-time All-Star is the favorite to win the AL MVP Award and could command $300 million.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told reporters before the start of the season that Judge had rejected the team's contract offer of $213.5 million over seven years. The deal would have been paired with the $17 million the team offered in arbitration for 2022.
Per Spotrac, the Giants have $103 million in allocated payroll next season. They could look to make a splash this offseason after a disappointing 2022.
After winning an MLB-high 107 games last season, the Giants are 73-77 and trail the San Diego Padres by 7.5 games for the final NL playoff spot.
Yankees Clinch Playoff Spot Behind Josh Donaldson's Walk-Off Single vs. Red Sox
Sep 23, 2022
BOSTON, MA - AUGUST 13: Andrew Benintendi #18, Aaron Hicks #31, and Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrate after beating the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on August 13, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)
The New York Yankees have clinched a playoff spot for the sixth straight season after a 5-4 extra-innings win over the Boston Red Sox Thursday night in the Bronx.
On another night that Aaron Judge was just waiting to crush his 61st home run of the season, it was Josh Donaldson who was the hero, driving in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning at Yankee Stadium to help New York punch its ticket to the postseason.
On July 8, the Yankees held a 61-23 record, which was the best win-loss mark in baseball by six-and-a-half games over the 54-29 Los Angeles Dodgers.
New York had six All-Stars led by presumptive AL MVP Aaron Judge, who has posted 60 home runs and 128 RBI in a contract year. His prodigious power and clutch hitting guided the Yankees to its greatest first half since 1998. Giancarlo Stanton complemented Judge's power with 24 home runs in his first 80 games.
Clay Holmes developed into a breakout star in the closer role (0.28 ERA through June 18), and Jose Trevino proved to be a very welcome surprise and addition at catcher. Gerrit Cole and Nestor Cortes also formed a solid one-two punch atop the rotation, with the latter player sporting the starters' best ERA (2.67).
The Yanks also caught lightning in a bottle by adding a former St. Louis Cardinals star (and ex-Texas Rangers minor leaguer) during the midseason in Matt Carpenter, who has been playing the best ball of his career in the Bronx (15 HR, 37 RBI, 1.138 OPS).
It looked as though the Yanks would cruise to the best record in baseball at the midway point of the season, and threatening the MLB regular-season record of 116 wins (1908 Chicago Cubs, 2001 Seattle Mariners) remained a possibility.
But New York has largely been disastrous ever since its 61-23 start, going 21-24 during a run that included a 9-20 stretch beginning with an 8-6 home loss to the Seattle Mariners on Aug. 2.
The offense largely went silent during the slump, including a seven-game stretch where the Yankees scored just nine runs. That also included a 1-0 loss to Seattle in 13 innings.
Injuries have hindered the team's performance at the plate (Stanton, Carpenter) and on the mound (Luis Severino, Michael King, Chad Green). Numerous hitters (e.g. Josh Donaldson, Aaron Hicks) have struggled for much of the season, and the same goes for the pitching staff of late (e.g. Jameson Taillon, Holmes).
Trade-deadline additions in starting pitcher Frankie Montas and outfielder Andrew Benintendi have also struggled out of the gate.
All of those reasons have contributed to a late-summer swoon in the Bronx, but the Yanks have a chance to make things right in October after clinching the playoff berth.
Aaron Judge Rumors: Rivals Hope Star Re-Signs With Yankees 'For the Good of the Game'
Sep 22, 2022
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 20: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees is congratulated in the dugout after hitting his 60th home run of the season in the ninth inning during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The New York Yankees are undoubtedly hoping to retain star outfielder Aaron Judge, who will enter free agency this offseason. It appears that even opposing teams are hoping for the same thing.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that not everyone around the league is interested in seeing Judge walk away from the Yankees.
"Even among some rivals, the hope is he stays 'for the good of the game,'" Heyman wrote. "The best, they say, should remain on the biggest stage."
Judge bet on himself when he turned down the Yankees' $213.5 million extension offer prior to this season. He backed up his gamble by putting together a historic season, as he is two home runs away from setting the American League record. Entering Thursday's game against the Boston Red Sox, Judge leads MLB with 60 home runs and 128 RBI, and he's tied for first in the AL with a .317 batting average.
Heyman noted that the Yankees "also know their number has to rise" to around $300 million to ensure Judge doesn't walk in free agency. During a recent podcast appearance, Yankees president Randy Levine told Heyman the franchise is planning to make an "extraordinarily competitive" offer.
The Yankees are considered the favorites to retain Judge this offseason, but that doesn't mean they won't have competition. The San Francisco Giants are thought to be the biggest threat to poach Judge because he grew up near the Bay Area. The Red Sox, New York Mets, Los Angeles Dodgers and Texas Rangers are all expected to pursue the 30-year-old slugger.
With Judge powering the lineup, the Yankees have been a top-two team in the AL for nearly the entire season. If he can lead New York to its first World Series since 2009, it will be imperative for the franchise to hold on to him if it wants to keep the fanbase happy.
Yankees News: Miguel Andujar Designated for Assignment; Zack Britton Activated
Sep 22, 2022
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 06: Miguel Andujar #41 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 06, 2021 in Seattle, Washington. The New York Yankees won 12-1 (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Third baseman Miguel Andujar's time with the New York Yankees could be ending.
The team announced prior to Thursday's game vs. the Boston Red Sox that Andujar has been designated for assignment. Reliever Zack Britton has been activated off the injured list after undergoing Tommy John surgery in September 2021.
Getting Britton back could have a huge impact on the postseason if he returns close to peak form. The two-time All-Star had a 5.89 ERA and 1.69 WHIP in 22 appearances last season before being shut down with an elbow injury.
In eight rehab appearances in the minors, Britton allowed just one earned run with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings.
Per MLB rules, players designated for assignment have seven days to be traded or placed on irrevocable waivers. If the player is claimed by another team, he is added to their 40-man roster and will either be optioned to the minors (if he has options left) or put on the 26-man MLB roster.
If Andujar clears waivers, he will have the option to accept an assignment to the minors or be released by the Yankees.
The move comes after MLB insider Hector Gomez reported on June 4 that Andujar requested a trade following a demotion to Triple-A. He hit .229/.250/.281 in 96 at-bats in the big leagues this season.
After he started 2018 in the minors, the Yankees called up Andujar on April 1 when Billy McKinney was placed on the disabled list. The Dominican made the most of his opportunity, quickly becoming a regular in manager Aaron Boone's starting lineup.
He finished the season with a .297/.328/.527 slash line with 27 homers, 92 RBI and tied the American League rookie record with 47 doubles.
Miggy ties the all-time AL Rookie doubles record with #47. Luke pushes the all-time team HR record to #267.
Thanks to the dazzling debut performance, he finished second in AL Rookie of the Year voting behind Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.
Unfortunately, an injured labrum that required surgery ended Andujar's 2019 season in May after just 12 games. He struggled to perform early in 2020 with a .160/.192/.160 slash line in 10 games before being sent to the alternate site.
After being recalled on Aug. 28, Andujar looked closer to the player he was in 2018 with a .297/.333/.487 slash line in 11 games. Even in a limited sample, it was the first time he played at the level he did when he looked like a budding star.
Last season, Andujar hit just .253/.284/.383 with six homers in 154 at-bats across 45 games.
Given Andujar's age and his performance during his first full MLB season, he's got good upside and is under team control for two more years if another club wants to take a chance on him.
