New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge etched his name deeper into franchise history on Thursday night, tying Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio for fourth place on the team’s all-time home run list. The milestone came just 48 hours after he moved past another Yankees icon, Yogi Berra, for fifth.
Judge launched two towering home runs in his first two at-bats against the Detroit Tigers, bringing his career total to 361. The two-time MVP now sits alongside DiMaggio, trailing only three of the greatest to ever wear pinstripes: Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536), and Lou Gehrig (493).
Power display against the Tigers
The Bronx Bombers wasted little time putting runs on the board with Judge’s bat leading the way. In the first inning, the Yankees star blasted a 413-foot homer to left-center field off Tyler Holton, his 18th first-inning homer of the season. The blast tied a major league record that Judge already shared with Alex Rodriguez.
By the third inning, Aaron Judge added his 46th of the season with a 434-foot rocket off Sawyer Gipson-Long, giving New York a commanding 4-1 lead. The shot carried an exit velocity of 114.9 mph, further proof of his unmatched power at the plate.
Milestones keep piling up for Aaron Judge
Judge’s two-homer performance marked the 45th multi-home run game of his career, placing him third in Yankees history behind only Ruth (68) and Mantle (46). Holton and Gipson-Long also became the 272nd and 273rd pitchers to surrender a home run to Judge.
What makes his achievement even more remarkable is the pace at which he has climbed the list. Judge tied DiMaggio in just 1,129 regular-season games and has hit nine homers in 33 contests since returning from the injured list last month.
Cementing his legacy
Already a two-time MVP and a fan favorite, Aaron Judge continues to close in on the franchise’s greatest legends. Matching DiMaggio places him in an exclusive group, but with his current form, surpassing Gehrig, Mantle, and even closing in on Ruth in the coming years is not out of the question.
As the Yankees push toward the postseason, Judge’s power surge not only bolsters their playoff hopes but also strengthens his case as one of the greatest hitters in franchise history.