In a captivating Tuesday night confrontation, the New York Yankees faced a narrow defeat, losing their series opener 5-4 to the Cincinnati Reds. Despite the result, the night was marked by an impressive performance from Aaron Judge, whose achievements continue to elevate him among baseball’s elite.
Judge’s performance at the plate was nothing short of spectacular, going 3-for-4 and hammering his 32nd home run of the season. This milestone arrives notably earlier than last year, when he accomplished the same feat on July 16. The star slugger is showing no signs of slowing down, following his historic 2022 season where he set the American League record with 62 home runs.
As of Tuesday night, Judge not only leads the majors in home runs with 32, but also boasts the highest batting average at .321 and leads in RBIs with 83. His dominant presence at the plate has him on track for a potential Triple Crown, a notable achievement that hasn’t been witnessed since Miguel Cabrera’s stellar 2012 season with the Detroit Tigers. Prior to Cabrera, the feat was last conquered by Carl Yastrzemski of the Boston Red Sox in 1967. In the National League, the honor was last claimed by Joe Medwick of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1937.
Judge’s remarkable season is further highlighted by his extraordinary OPS of 1.158, edging notably ahead of his closest competitor, Shohei Ohtani, who trails by more than 100 points. Such statistics underscore Judge’s formidable presence and reinforce his invaluable contribution to the Yankees this season.
Interestingly, Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians currently boasts a batting average of .362, which surpasses Judge’s. However, Kwan has not yet achieved qualifying status due to missing over three weeks with a hamstring strain, leaving Judge firmly in the lead among qualified hitters.
While Judge’s individual accolades continue to accumulate, Tuesday’s game is a stark reminder that baseball remains unpredictable and often humbling. The Yankees will undoubtedly look to capitalize on their star player’s form as they seek to rebound from the narrow loss and build momentum for the rest of the season.