Aaron Judge continues to write one of the most dominant chapters in recent baseball history. The New York Yankees captain hit his 52nd home run of the season on Friday, powering his team to a resounding 8-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and looking incredible in the process.
Judge’s performance this season is unprecedented. His statistics are spectacular, maintaining an offensive line of .330/.458/.687 and an OPS of 1.145. In addition to his 52 home runs, the outfielder has driven in 111 runs and scored 135.
On the way to breaking history
Judge is on the cusp of an extraordinary achievement. If he manages to maintain the MLB batting lead, he would become only the third person in history to hit more than 50 home runs and secure the best batting average in the league. Only Jamie Foxx and Mickey Mantle have achieved such a feat.
Aaron Boone full of praise for Judge
Manager Aaron Boone did not hold back in his praise for his star player, declaring him the clear favorite for the American League MVP award.
“Nothing Aaron Judge does surprises me; to me, he’s the clear MVP,” Boone said after the game, highlighting the performance “of an all-time great.”
Despite Judge’s dominance, the MVP race remains close. Cal Raleigh maintains the lead in RBIs and home runs, hitting 60 home runs this season. However, Boone is convinced that Judge, who already won the MVP in 2022 by setting the American League record with 62 home runs, deserves the award, which would be his third in four years.
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