Aaron Judge hits history-making 50th homer, joins exclusive 50-HR club
Yankees slugger becomes the fourth player to post four 50-homer seasons; postseason secured, but AL East race remains tight
Aaron Judge hit his 50th home run of the season on Wednesday night, becoming only the fourth player in Major League Baseball history to post four seasons with 50 or more homers. The blast, off the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium, placed the New York Yankees slugger in a small, storied club that includes Babe Ruth, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. The milestone comes as Judge continues to be a central figure for New York, contributing at the plate while the club pursues a playoff position in a season marked by a strong overall performance from its lineup.
Judge, 33, signed a nine-year, $360 million contract with the Yankees in December 2022 to anchor the franchise for years to come. This season, he has excelled at the plate, leading the majors with a .325 batting average. In the same campaign, Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners has slugged a league-best 58 homers, while Judge sits among the league leaders with 50 homers. The Yankees have already secured a postseason berth, but they remain in a tight battle for the American League East, as the Blue Jays hold a one-game edge with a week remaining in the schedule.
Judge celebrated the moment in the dugout as teammates mobbed him, and fans on social media quickly weighed in. Posts praising Judge’s production and durability circulated, with a notable portion elevating him into discussions about the sport’s greatest players and MVP considerations for the season. The moment underscored the Rays of attention Judge has drawn this year as the Yankees navigated a year of strong performances from multiple players while pressing for a higher seed in the postseason.
With four games left in the regular season, the Yankees are set to close the year with a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles in the Bronx. The late-season schedule will shape playoff seeding and provide a final chapter to a season in which Judge’s name again dominated headlines and added another line to a career that continues to draw national attention in the realm of culture and entertainment.