Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees made history on Sunday, August 25, 2024, hitting his 50th and 51st home runs of the season in a 10-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium. With this accomplishment, Judge became only the fifth player in Major League Baseball history to achieve three 50-homer seasons, joining the elite company of Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, and Alex Rodriguez.Judge’s first homer, a two-run shot in the first inning, marked his 18th first-inning home run of the season, tying Alex Rodriguez’s 2001 record for most in a single season. His second home run came in the seventh inning as part of a back-to-back-to-back homer sequence with teammates Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton, a feat the Yankees hadn’t accomplished since 2020.’A great accomplishment but there’s still more to be done,’ Judge said after the game. His performance has put him on pace to potentially break his own American League record of 62 home runs set in 2022. Judge’s stellar season has seen him raise his OPS to 1.201, an impressive feat considering his struggles in April.The victory helped the Yankees maintain their slim lead in the American League East, with a 77-54 record putting them 1.0 game ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Judge’s ‘desire and obsession with just getting a little bit better each and every year’.As the regular season enters its final stretch, all eyes will be on Judge’s pursuit of another record-breaking season, adding an exciting subplot to the Yankees’ push for a playoff spot.
Key points
- Aaron Judge hit his 50th and 51st home runs of the season, becoming the fifth player in MLB history with three 50-homer seasons.
- The Yankees defeated the Colorado Rockies 10-3, maintaining their lead in the American League East.
- Judge, Soto, and Stanton hit back-to-back-to-back home runs, a feat the Yankees hadn’t accomplished since 2020.
