ARLINGTON — Sixty-one years after Roger Maris captivated the baseball world with his pursuit of a beloved Babe Ruth record, Aaron Judge now stands alone as the American League’s single-season home run king.
Judge hit his record-breaking 62nd home run of the season on Tuesday at Globe Life Field, launching a leadoff homer in the first inning off right-hander Jesus Tinoco in the second game of a doubleheader. The drive breaks a tie with Maris, who belted 61 home runs for the 1961 Yankees.
After hitting No. 60 on Sept. 20 against the Pirates, it took Judge 35 plate appearances to equal Maris’ mark, connecting for the milestone on Sept. 28 against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Ruth’s single-season record of 60 homers, set in 1927, stood until Maris’ performance more than three decades later.
“It’s pretty incredible,” Judge said the night he hit No. 61. “There’s a lot of things Babe Ruth did that I definitely couldn’t do. Getting a chance to sit at 60 for a while there with the Babe was nice. Getting a chance to sit at 61 with another Yankees right fielder that hit 61 home runs, won MVPs and was a world champion, it’s pretty cool.”
The Major League and National League record for home runs in a single season is 73, set by Barry Bonds in 2001.
Judge has hit the seventh-most home runs in a single season in AL/NL history, behind performances by Bonds, Mark McGwire (70 in 1998; 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998; 64 in 2001; 63 in 1999).
“I’m just out there playing baseball,” Judge said. “I don’t have to look at the stats, look at the numbers. This incredible group of guys that we have in that room motivate me. We continue to push each other, day in and day out. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the grind you look forward to.”