Babe Ruth. Mickey Mantle. Lou Gehrig. Aaron Judge.
The New York Yankees captain moved into sole possession of fourth place on the team’s all-time homers list, passing Joe DiMaggio with a first-inning home run in their 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox on Friday at Fenway Park.
Judge blasted his 47th homer of the season, and 362nd as a member of the Yankees, which pushed him ahead of DiMaggio as the No. 1 right-handed hitter in Yankees history. He trails only Ruth (659), Mantle (536) and Gehrig (493) on the Yankes’ all-time list.
Judge blasted an 0-1 fastball 468 feet — tied for the eighth-longest homer in MLB this season — for his fourth homer in the Yankees’ past four games and third in the past two nights. It pulled him within six of MLB-leader Cal Raleigh.
What Did Aaron Judge Say About Passing Joe DiMaggio?
Judge is a famously humble when he is asked about his accomplishments, deferring to his team’s success.
But when asked by Apple TV+ sideline reporter Heidi Watney, Judge admitted his excitement about pulling ahead of DiMaggio.
“It’s tough to put into words,” Judge said. “[Ruth, Mantle and Gehrig] are not just Yankees greats. They’re baseball greats.”
But after finally acknowledging his remarkable feat, Judge went back to discussing his pride in being the captain of the Yankees.
“I just try to go out and do my job,” Judge said. “We’ve got a great ballclub. I’m lucky to wear these pinstripes every single night and get a chance to represent the Yankees, New York City. It’s a special opportunity that I don’t take lightly. I’m just happy we came away with the win.”
Judge’s elbow has been a point of contention, since he was the designated hitter and Giancarlo Stanton played in left field Friday night. Yet, when Watney asked him how he’s feeling, Judge
“I always feel good after we win,” Judge said.
What Did The Yankees Say About Aaron Judge Getting Hot?
Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was an All-Star this year. But that hasn’t stopped him from being “in awe” of his teammate.
“He’s a special player,” Chisholm said. “Me and my teammates always talk about how special he is. I couldn’t be happier than to play on the same team as him.”
Perhaps more importantly for the Yankees, manager Aaron Boone can see Judge heating up, at the absolute perfect time.
“I feel like he’s gotten a lot of Aaron Judge-type swings off,” Boone said. “He’s really controlling the strike zone while doing it. He looks good to me these last several days. I feel like he’s really starting to get locked in.”
Judge’s struggles playing the outfield, and slugging the ball, have been huge points of concern for Yankees fans since he returned from the injured list after a flexor strain in his throwing elbow Aug. 5.
Judge had just 11 extra-base hits in 141 plate appearances over a 32-game stretch, even though seven were home runs and he posted a great-yet-un-Judgean .879 OPS in that span.
Yet, over the past two nights, Judge is 4 for 8 with the three home runs and five runs scored, and Boone can see him starting to carry New York’s offense — at the perfect time.
“I feel like the last several days is more where he is getting it rolling to me,” Boone said. “I feel like right now he’s getting where he needs to to fire properly and make good swing decisions.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Judge Homers Again, Passes Joe DiMaggio On Yankees’ All-Time Homers List appeared first on Heavy Sports.