Let’s give a round of applause!
New York Yankees’ phenom Aaron Judge has made history by becoming the fastest player in Major League Baseball to reach 300 career home runs. After lingering at 299 since his last game against the Texas Rangers, Judge finally hit his milestone homer in the eighth inning against the White Sox’s Chad Kuhl—a stunning three-run shot to left field at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago.
This season alone, Judge has smashed 43 home runs, leading all of MLB. He joins an exclusive group of only 162 players who have hit 300 home runs in their careers. Notably, his teammate Anthony Rizzo recently joined the club on April 28, 2023.
In other news: Judge surpasses Babe Ruth for Yankees record during this phenomenal season.
To put his achievement in perspective, Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner hit his 300th home run during his 1,087th game back in May 1953. Remarkably, Judge accomplished this in just 955 games since his debut in 2016.
Kiner ended his career with 369 homers after spending ten seasons with teams such as the Pittsburgh Pirates, Chicago Cubs, and Cleveland Indians, retiring at age 32.
More updates: Judge’s hitting coach voices criticisms; Yankees manager Aaron Boone responds.
At 32 years old, Judge is signed with the Yankees until 2031, so as long as he stays healthy, fans can expect to see him break more home run records in the years to come.
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This milestone is another exciting chapter in what could be a Hall of Fame career for this American League MVP frontrunner.
In other headlines: The race for the American League MVP is heating up!
Judge is not only a six-time All-Star but he is also on track to win his second MVP award in three seasons. Alongside his 43 home runs, he started the day boasting a .332 batting average, a .466 on-base percentage, and a .699 slugging percentage—all leading MLB. His impressive 221 OPS+ illustrates that his 1.165 OPS is significantly better than the league average.
Last season, he made history as the American League single-season home run king with 62 homers, clinching the MVP title while also leading the AL in RBIs (131) and runs scored (133)—both career highs.
Latest news: Judge has his sights set on Los Angeles in 2028.
This year, Judge also set a Yankees record for the most home runs by July 1, with 31 homers before the halfway point, breaking a longstanding record held by Babe Ruth.