In Saturday’s contest against the Chicago Cubs, a game that ended in a 5-2 defeat for the New York Yankees, Aaron Judge achieved a significant milestone by launching his 350th career home run. Notably, the Yankees’ prominent outfielder accomplished this feat more rapidly than any other player who has graced the baseball diamond.
This particular home run marked Judge’s 35th of the current season. It occurred during the ninth inning as he faced Cubs relief pitcher Brad Keller. Keller attempted to deliver a 97.7 mph fastball, aiming for the upper part of the strike zone. However, the pitch landed squarely in the middle, and Judge capitalized on the opportunity.
Judge reached the 350 home run mark in his 1,088th career game. According to data from MLB.com’s Sarah Langs, this is a remarkable 192 games faster than Mark McGwire, who achieved his 350th home run in 1,280 games. The subsequent players on the list, following Judge, include:
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Mark McGwire: 1,280 games
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Juan Gonzalez: 1,298 games
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Alex Rodriguez: 1,301 games
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Harmon Killebrew: 1,319 games
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Albert Pujols: 1,320 games
Judge stands as the fourth player to reach the 350 home run milestone while representing the Yankees. He joins the ranks of Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and his current teammate Giancarlo Stanton in achieving this feat.
Judge is on track to have a minimum of 35 home runs prior to the All-Star break, which would be the fourth-highest total ever recorded in MLB history. However, he is currently behind Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who has amassed 38 home runs after adding two more during Friday’s 12-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers.
If both players maintain their current level of home run production throughout the remainder of the season, the race for the American League MVP award could become highly competitive. Raleigh presently holds the lead in home runs and also leads MLB with 82 RBI, while Judge boasts a batting average of .358 and a 1.204 OPS.
Judge is currently projected to hit 60 home runs this season. Should he achieve this, it would mark the second instance in his career that he has reached that number, and the fourth time he has surpassed 50 home runs in a single season. In the previous year, he hit 58 home runs, earning him his second AL MVP award.
