On October 4th, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge hit a record 62 home runs in a single season. He broke the American League record, originally held by former Yankees right fielder, Roger Maris with 61 homers. 

Judge said during the game that “It’s a big relief,” and that “I think everybody can finally sit down and watch some ball games”

This was a monumental moment in baseball history and Yankees history as prior to Judge, Roger Maris broke the record in 1961, beating Babe Ruth’s record of 60 home runs in a single season. This goes to show why this record will always be held in Yankees honor.

In the few games before, Judge was on a homerun drought. Before the HR heard round the world, he played 4 games without hitting a single homerun. This stressed out every fan of baseball, especially Judge. During the first game of a double-header, he threw his helmet in the dugout out of frustration, as he flew out and went 1-5 against the Texas Rangers that day. 

Despite this setback, he has been having a spectacular year. Starting in April, he was a little slow, with a .293 batting average, but as the games progressed, he started to improve.

Judge was soon climbing up in the rankings, with a better batting average as the months went on. He was doing so well in the league that he won the American League Player of the Month three times this season. These months were May, July and September, the months he performed best in home runs and RBIs. 

Speaking of RBIs, Judge also led the league in runs batted in, showcasing how incredible he was this entire season. He finished the season off with an amazing .311 batting average.

As of right now, Judge has not been playing up to his standards in this 2022 Postseason, but the potential is still there for him to have a great end to the year. Many fans hope that he will bring the Yankees back to prominence with another World Series win.

The question now becomes, is Aaron Judge the next face of the franchise? This goes for the New York Yankees and the MLB. Well, everyone knows he’s loved by Yankees fans and franchise. In 2017, the ballpark built a little bunch of seats called the Judge’s Chamber, where certain fans can get picked to sit there instead of their original seats. These fans are given judge robes, gavels, and the excitement of watching Aaron Judge at Yankees Stadium.

Since he’s so loved by the Yankees, many question if he will have the same type of influence as other former baseball players in the MLB. But when you look at the stats, the media attention, and overall character of Aaron Judge, you will see an amazing baseball player, who will likely be the next big name in MLB history.

Aaron Judge has had a phenomenal career as a baseball player. He is a 4 time All-Star, 2 time Silver Slugger, HR Derby Champion, and Rookie of the Year in 2017. Now Judge gets to add to those accomplishments that he is leading the entire MLB in most home runs hit in a single season. Who knows what’s to come next. He may win the AL MVP for this season!