Connect with us

Published

on

Baseball history is on the horizon as Aaron Judge tied Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 home runs with seven games remaining in the season.

The New York Yankees outfielder came one step closer to breaking the record Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays. Judge has had an outstanding season at the plate, batting .314 and logging 130 RBIs. He is one of the reasons New York is among MLB’s elite this season.

Judge needs only one home run to break Maris’ 1961 record — a mark that has stood for six decades and, until Mark McGwire hit 70 in 1998, was the single-season MLB record.

Judge’s quest to reach 62 has captivated the baseball world. We are tracking every home run he hits from now until the end of the season.

Here’s where Judge stands in his chase for MLB history.

All-time single-season home run list

1. Barry Bonds, 73 (2001)
2. Mark McGwire, 70 (1998)
3. Sammy Sosa, 66 (1998)
4. Mark McGwire, 65 (1999)
5. Sammy Sosa, 64 (2001)
6. Sammy Sosa, 63 (1999)
T-7. Roger Maris, 61 (1961)
T-7. Aaron Judge, 61 (2022)
9. Babe Ruth, 60 (1927)
T-10. Babe Ruth, 59 (1921)
T-10. Giancarlo Stanton, 59 (2017)

Aaron Judge’s next games:

Friday, 7:05 p.m. ET vs. BAL (facing Austin Voth)

Saturday, 1:05 p.m. ET vs. BAL (facing Jordan Lyles)

Sunday, 1:35 p.m. ET vs. BAL (facing Kyle Bradish)

Home run No. 61

After several days (and many walks) without a home run, Judge tied Roger Maris’ 61-year-old record in the seventh inning of Wednesday night’s game against the Blue Jays. Judge smacked a 394-foot shot to left field off Tim Mayza. Perhaps fittingly, his record-tying home run exited his bat at 117.4 mph — his hardest-hit home run of the season, according to Statcast tracking data.

Home run No. 60

With Maris’ sons Roger Jr. and Kevin looking on at Yankee Stadium, Judge launched his 60th home run of the season deep into left field off Pirates pitcher Wil Crowe. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Judge is the first player to hit his 60th of the season out of the leadoff spot and the first to do it out of any spot other than third or fourth. Shortly after Judge hit his 60th, Giancarlo Stanton smacked a game-winning walk-off grand slam to rally the Yankees from an 8-4 deficit in the ninth.

Home run No. 59

On a 1-2 count, Judge took Angel Perdomo 443 feet to left field for his second home run of the game. He now holds the all-time AL record for home runs by a right-handed hitter, and is one dinger from tying Babe Ruth for second all time in AL history.

Home run No. 58

Judge took a third-pitch sinker 414 feet to right field off Jason Alexander for his 58th home run of the season. He has now tied Hank Greenberg and Jimmie Foxx for the AL record for most home runs by a right-handed batter.

Home run No. 57

Judge launched a 389-foot home run over the Green Monster, off Garrett Whitlock. It’s his 10th multi-home run game of the season, which ties him with Alex Rodriguez and Jimmie Foxx for the second-most in American League history. Only Hank Greenberg has more, with 11.

Home run No. 56

Judge poked a 383-foot homer just over the right field wall at Fenway Park off Nick Pivetta. According to ESPN Stats and Information research, Judge’s 56 home runs are the fourth-most by a Yankee in a single season in franchise history, trailing only Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961 and Babe Ruth’s 60 home runs in 1927 and 59 home runs in 1921.

Home run No. 55

Judge hit a 374-foot home run to left field off Louie Varland on Wednesday afternoon. It’s the second time in his career he’s hit a home run in at least four consecutive games. Judge is now on pace for 65 home runs, assuming he plays the rest of the Yankees’ 26 games.

Home run No. 54

Judge hit a two-run home run to left field off Trevor Megill, breaking a 2-2 tie and proving to be the difference in a 5-2 win. This ties him with Alex Rodriguez for most home runs in a season by a right-handed hitter in New York Yankees history.

Home run No. 53

Leading off the game, Judge needed only two pitches before taking Shawn Armstrong 450 feet to left field. It’s Judge’s new career high in home runs. He’s on pace for 66 home runs, which would tie Sammy Sosa for third-most in MLB history.

Home run No. 52

In the top of the ninth inning against the Rays, Judge launched a 392-foot dinger off of a Jason Adam changeup for his 52nd homer, matching his career high from 2017.

Home run No. 51

Judge took a fastball into center field off Angels starter Mike Mayers. He is now tied with Maris for most home runs before September in Yankees history.

Home run No. 50

Judge launched a 1-1 curveball off Jose Quijada to center field for his 50th home run of the year. He’s the first Yankees player with 50 HR before September since Roger Maris in 1961. It’s also his second 50-home run season in his career. He’s the third Yankees player to record multiple 50-HR seasons, joining Babe Ruth (4) & Mickey Mantle (2). He’s on pace for 63 home runs this season.

Continue Reading

Sports

Sale, Crochet named comeback players of year

Published

on

By

Sale, Crochet named comeback players of year

LAS VEGAS — Left-handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year awards on Thursday.

Cleveland right-hander Emmanuel Clase won his second AL Reliever of the Year award and St. Louis righty Ryan Helsley won the NL honor.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani joined David Ortiz as the only players to win four straight Outstanding Designated Hitter awards. Ohtani and the New York YankeesAaron Judge won Hank Aaron Awards as the outstanding offensive performers in their leagues.

Major League Baseball made the announcements at its All-MLB Awards Show.

Sale, 35, was 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177⅔ innings for the NL’s first pitching triple crown since the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw in 2011. He earned his eighth All-Star selection and first since 2018.

Sale helped Boston to the 2018 World Series title but made just 56 starts from 2020-23, going 17-18 with a 4.86 ERA, 400 strikeouts and 79 walks over 298⅓ innings. He was acquired by Boston from the White Sox in December 2016 and made nine trips to the injured list with the Red Sox, mostly with shoulder and elbow ailments. He had Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020, and returned to a big league mound on Aug. 14, 2021.

Sale fractured a rib while pitching in batting practice in February 2022 during the management lockout. On July 17, in his second start back, he broke his left pinkie finger when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Aaron Hicks. Sale broke his right wrist while riding a bicycle en route to lunch on Aug. 6, ending his season.

Crochet, 25, was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts for a White Sox team that set a post-1900 record of 121 losses, becoming a first-time All-Star. He struck out 209 and walked 33 in 146 innings.

He had Tommy John surgery on April 5, 2022, and returned to the major leagues on May 18, 2023. Crochet had a 3.55 ERA in 13 relief appearances in 2023, and then joined the rotation this year.

Sale and Crochet were chosen in voting by MLB.com beat writers.

Clase and Helsley were unanimous picks by a panel that included Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers, along with John Franco and Billy Wagner. The AL award is named after Rivera and the NL honor after Hoffman.

A three-time All-Star, Clase was 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 10 walks in 74⅓ innings, holding batters to a .154 average. The 26-year-old converted 47 of 50 save chances, including his last 47.

Voting was based on the regular season. Clase was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in the playoffs, allowing three home runs, one more than his regular-season total.

Helsley, a two-time All-Star, was 7-4 with a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves in 53 chances. He struck out 79 and walked 23 in 66⅓ innings.

Ohtani became the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. A two-way star limited to hitting following elbow surgery, Ohtani batted .310 and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs while stealing 59 bases.

Ortiz won the DH award five years in a row from 2003-07.

The DH award, named after Edgar Martinez, is picked in voting by team beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments. MLB.com writers determined the finalists for the Aaron awards, and a fan vote was combined with picks from a panel of Hall of Famers and former winners to determine the selections.

Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers and 144 RBIs while hitting .322.

Continue Reading

Sports

QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Published

on

By

QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.

Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.

O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.

Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.

In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Gators’ Lagway ‘ready to play,’ will start vs. LSU

Published

on

By

Gators' Lagway 'ready to play,' will start vs. LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.

Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.

Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.

The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.

LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.

Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Continue Reading

Trending