Aaron Judge Passes Roger Maris With 62nd Home Run

It was starting to look like Aaron Judge might end the season tied with Roger Maris for the American League single season home run record with 61. The Yankees had just two games left in the regular season—the 2nd game of a double header on October 4th and Game 162 on October 5th, both against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, TX.

But Judge put that to rest as he led off that 2nd game of the double header. On the third pitch of the game, Judge hit a Jesus Tinoco slider into the left field seats and set the record with home run #62.

Roger Maris hit his 61st home run in 1961, and Judge broke the record 61 years later. Maris hit his 61st in the final game of that 1961 season. The three players who have his 60 or more home runs in the American League have all been New York Yankees right fielders. Babe Ruth hit 60 in 1927.

With the Yankees set for the playoffs and the record broken, Judge was not in the lineup for the now meaningless Game 162. His final numbers for the regular season are 62 homers, 131 RBIs, (both leading the American League) and a .311 batting average (second behind Minnesota’s Luis Arraez). He also is 1st in runs scored (133), total bases (391), on base percentage (.425) and OPS (1.111). All that should be a lock for the American League MVP award.