New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge moved up the franchise history books on Sunday.
His first-inning home run against Braves pitcher Grant Holmes was his 36th homer on the season and the 351st of his career. That home run tied Judge with former Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez for the sixth most in franchise history.
It is a matter of time before Judge moves further up that list. Hall of Famers Yogi Berra (358 home runs) and Joe Dimaggio (361 home runs) are well within striking distance. At his current pace, Judge will be the fourth player in franchise history to reach the 400 home run plateau sometime in 2026.
The prohibitive AL MVP favorite, Judge entered Sunday with what may be his most impressive season yet. He had posted a .353/.459/.722 batting line in his 438 plate appearances, leading the majors in each category. Judge also was at the top of the majors in hits (127), total bases (260), intentional walks (25) and bWAR (6.8), with his 87 runs scored and 70 walks leading the American League.
Judge has already put together an impressive career. A two-time AL MVP, he is a seven-time All-Star and was named the 2017 AL Rookie of the Year. He is one of just six players to hit 60 or more home runs in a season, setting the AL record with 62 homers in 2022. Judge is also just one of four players to reach the 50 home run plateau three times and appears well on his way to a fourth season of 50+ homers.
Judge is putting together another MVP caliber season. The Yankees need every bit of his production as they look to return to the postseason.
