Aaron Judge breaks Yankees 81-year-old rookie home run record
We’re not even to the All-Star break yet and Aaron Judge has already broken a Yankees home run record that many decades of legends couldn’t touch.
With his 30th home run in the Yankees 9-4 loss to the Brewers on Friday night, Judge surpassed Joe DiMaggio’s franchise record for the most home runs hit by a rookie. Judge needed just 82 games to break the record that DiMaggio set over 138 games back in 1936.
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Fittingly, Judge’s record-breaking blast landed in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium, where plaques honoring DiMaggio and other Yankees’ legends reside. He’s almost literally reached every nook and cranny of Yankee Stadium with his home runs during games and batting practice this season, but he could not have picked a better spot for this one.
It serves as a nod to those whose records he has broken, and to those whose records he hopes to break before he’s through.
And believe us, Judge is far from through.
He will have some other records in sight beginning on Saturday. He remains well ahead of the pace to break Mark McGwire’s all-time rookie record of 49 home runs set in 1987. Who knows, with a really big stretch he could even challenge Roger Maris’ all-time Yankees record of 61 homers in 1961.
It’s a stretch, but Judge has shown repeatedly that there’s no limit to his power.
Speaking of which, when the Yankees wrap up their weekend series against the Brewers on Sunday, Judge will take his hot bat and immense power down to Marlins Park in Miami for the Home Run Derby.
Defending Derby champion and hometown hero Giancarlo Stanton is currently listed as the favorite after hitting a Derby record 61 home runs last season. Perhaps being the underdog will give Judge some motivation to break that record as well, or maybe he’s just so locked in right now it doesn’t even matter.
Only time will tell, but we’re looking forward to watching as Judge continues challenging history.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
