Yankees’ Aaron Judge Creates More History Amid Never Before Seen Pace

Aaron Judge became the first player in MLB history to achieve these numbers.

Aug 23, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) hits a solo home run during the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports / Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

If it feels like Aaron Judge is hitting at a historic rate, that’s because he is. 

Just two seasons after breaking Roger Maris' single-season American League home run record, the New York Yankees’ superstar outfielder is once again on pace to match his 62-home-run total. This achievement seems nearly impossible, considering he started the season hitting just .197 with six home runs and 18 RBIs through his first 33 games. Yet, here we are in late August, and as Yogi Berra once said, "It's like déjà vu all over again." 

Despite the similarities to his record-breaking year, this season somehow feels even more impressive. Entering Saturday, the 32-year-old slugger is batting .333/.464/.728 with 49 home runs and 119 RBIs in 127 games. His 228 OPS+ far surpasses his previous career-high mark of 210 set in 2022, and he is only 13 RBIs away from exceeding his total from his first 60-plus-homer season. 

#AllRise and maybe just stay risen.

FORTY-NINE home runs for Aaron Judge. pic.twitter.com/Je4x6KzpBz

— MLB (@MLB) August 24, 2024

After such a slow start to 2024, the only way Judge could have caught up in these statistical categories was to hit at an unprecedented pace — and he has. Over his last 100 games, Judge is hitting a scorching .378 with 45 home runs and 106 RBIs. 

Judge is the first player in MLB history to hit .375 or better with 45 or more home runs over a 100-game span. Even Barry Bonds never had such a stretch, despite hitting 73 home runs in 153 games during the 2001 season. The Yankees’ slugger responded to comparisons to the all-time home run king and other legends during Friday’s postgame presser. 

Witnessing History. #RepBX pic.twitter.com/QG7R25D9ph

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) August 24, 2024

“It’s not real. I try not to think about it,” Judge said with a smile. “Even they would say a lot of the Yankee greats here — Mantle, DiMaggio, Maris, Babe Ruth. It’s tough to comprehend or even think about.” 

One of the key factors in Judge’s success this season is his improved plate discipline. His chase rate is down to 19.2% in 2024, a 3% decrease from his career average. According to Baseball Savant, the league-average chase rate in 2024 is 28.4% as of Saturday morning. Judge rarely swings at pitches out of the zone, forcing pitchers to come after him more than they would like — unless they opt to intentionally walk him. So far this season, 16 of his 104 walks have been intentional.

With 33 games remaining in the regular season, Judge needs 14 home runs to set a new career-high and 11 more to become just the third player in MLB history with multiple 60-home-run seasons, joining Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa.