New York Yankees MVP frontrunner Aaron Judge is on pace to make MLB history for the second time in his young career.
Judge has been a dread for opposing pitchers to deal with in 2024. The Fresno State product overcame a slow start to the year and has worked his way up to the Major League lead in home runs with 51. Just one week ago, the conversation was whether or not Judge could go on an unprecedented hot streak and crack 60 home runs for the year.
After hitting five home runs in his last five games, the discussion has evolved into whether or not the 32-year-old can break his own league record for home runs (62) set in his 2022 AL MVP-winning campaign. The math shows that Judge will usurp that total by one home run should he continue at the pace he’s on to the curtain call.
Yankees: Aaron Judge can cement MVP status by breaking his own AL home run record
The Yankees (77-54) are having a special season in 2024, as is Judge. Setting the home runs record in the American League will be a tall task with only 31 games remaining in the regular season. However, history shows that the 6-7 slugger has a great chance to stand taller than the challenge in front of him.
MLB.com’s Sarah Langs shared several nuggets that beautifully contextualize the tear that Judge is on in juxtaposition to his previous MVP record-setting campaign, offering hope for the three-time Silver Slugger award winner to do it again. Langs noted that Judge’s 51 homers equal his total through 131 team games in 2022, and he’s slashing much more efficiently at that. Whatever he’s done before he can do again.
Further, Judge would join Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire as the only players in MLB history to put up multiple 60-home-run seasons. His MVP stock would elevate well above Yankees teammate Juan Soto, as well as Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. and his own historic campaign he’s enjoying in his own right.
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The Road Ahead for Judge
Of the 10 teams the Yankees have left to play in 2024, six of them are at or under .500 in the standings. Another one, the Seattle Mariners, are one game above .500. Thus, the Yankees will have a relatively easy slate for Judge to capitalize off of. Encouragingly, four of those teams rank in the bottom five in ERA, but only two of them place in the top 10 in home runs allowed on the campaign.
Thus, Judge will have to earn every baseball that he sends into the stands the rest of the way. The work he’s put in proves that he can take home that check, and perhaps even some overtime when the year is all said and done.
