Yankees Fan Who Caught Aaron Judge’s 60th Home Run Returns Ball

The New York outfielder tied Babe Ruth with 60 home runs in a single season on Tuesday night.
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Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 60th home run of the 2022 season on Tuesday night, and he is now tied with Babe Ruth for the second-most home runs by a Yankee in a single season.

While Judge still trails Roger Maris for 61 home runs in a season, his 60th homer was historic in its own right.

So, what happened to the baseball that went deep in left field?

Yankees fan Mike Kessler was the lucky person who grabbed the ball in the stands. The 20-year-old spoke with the New York Post following the game to talk about what he planned to do with the historic baseball.

“I gave it back to Aaron,” Kessler said.

Kessler wanted Judge to hold on to his own piece of history, and he wanted to give it back for free. If the fan would’ve decided to keep the baseball, Judge’s 60th home run ball could’ve sold anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000, per The Action Network’s Darren Rovell.

The fan didn’t go home empty handed, though. Judge gave him and his friends signed balls and a group photo. The Yankees star also gave Kessler a signed bat and an individual photo with him.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.