Getty Aaron Judge rounds the bases after hitting a home run.
Aaron Judge may finally be heating up after a slow start to the 2024 season. The New York Yankees star center fielder has hit 3 home runs in his last six games, including a towering, 473-foot blast against the Houston Astros on May 10 in the Bronx.
Aaron Judge sends one into the seats 🔥
With the Bombers trailing rival the ‘Stros 4-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning, Judge demolished a 3-1 pitch from reliever Ryan Pressly into the seats in deep left center field.
“No chance. See ya!” Michael Kay, YES Network’s play-by-play announcer, said on the broadcast. “Into the night. Whoa!”
That was the captain’s ninth long ball of the season, which ties him with right fielder Juan Soto for the team lead. It was also the third-longest homer of his nine-year career. (His longest is 496 feet, which he hit off of current teammate Marcus Stroman, who was on the mound for the Bombers in this one. The second-longest was 495.)
“Not a lot of people go to that place,’’ Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge’s solo shot.
However, it wasn’t enough, as the Bombers fell short, 4-3, in the third game of a three-game set against the 2022 World Series winners.
A Sign of Things to Come?
Judging (see what I did there?) by this homestand, it certainly seems that he’s finally turning a corner.
The 32-year-old outfielder is 10 for his last 24 at-bats, with 4 doubles, 3 home runs, and 7 RBI. He’s had three multi-hit games over his last six contests. Judge has now hit three homers in his last four games and six in his last 15. For the month of May — so far — he’s batting .357/.455./.821.
Judge was extremely productive during New York’s homestand. On May 8, Judge went 3-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI in New York’s 9-4 victory. His batting average was at its season’s highest (.236) before going 0-for-2 with 2 walks against Tampa Bay. Judge was batting just .197 back on May 2.
Judge has said that his injured toe — suffered when colliding with the outfield wall at Dodger Stadium last season — will require constant maintenance for the rest of his career. And it’s possible that the 6-foot-7 slugger was still feeling the effects as this season began.
He batted .125 with no homers in March. For the month of May, Judge hit a paltry .220, but did go deep six times.
We Know What Judge is Capable Of
Judge has 266 home runs in 874 games. He was the fastest in MLB history to 250, reaching the milestone in his 810th game.
Judge has been one of the best hitters in the game when not slowed down by injury. He burst on the scene in 2017 — his first full season. That year he won American League Rookie of the Year honors — and finished second in the MVP voting — after batting .284/.422/.627 with a league-leading 52 home runs.
The California native put together his best campaign in 2022, winning his first MVP. Judge set the American League home run record (62) — passing former Yankee Roger Maris — to go with 133 RBI and a .311/.425/.686 slashline.
“He’s special,’’ Stroman said of Judge. “And he’s not even hot yet.”
That’s bad news for opposing pitchers.