All Rise For Yankees’ Judge – Star On The Rise

The Best Is Yet To Come For Judge In 1936, Joe DiMaggio hit 29 home runs, setting a record for New York Yankees’ rookies. That mark was tied on...

The Best Is Yet To Come For Judge

In 1936, Joe DiMaggio hit 29 home runs, setting a record for New York Yankees’ rookies.

That mark was tied on Wednesday, in a mere 83 games.

Aaron Judge, the Yankee’s remarkable right fielder, smacked a baseball nearly 400 into the stands in a 7-6 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, giving him his 29th HR, a total that leads the major leagues.

It’s hard to tell which part was more enjoyable – Judge hitting that home run or actually knowing who one of his predecessors was.

“Any time you’re in the sentence as someone like DiMaggio is pretty incredible,” Judge said. “It’s quite an honor.”

Indeed.

DiMaggio played 13 seasons – three years of his prime went to military service during World War II – and hit 361 career home runs, batting .325. Judge is hitting .331. His HR total puts him on pace to hit 57 this season, which would break the MLB record of 49 set by Mark McGwire in 1987.

You’ll get a look at Judge’s power on Monday night at the Home Run Derby that precedes the MLB All-Star Game. Judge is the No. 2 seed behind defending champion Giancarlo Stanton of the host Miami Marlins. As defending champ, Stanton was installed at the top of the bracket. The rest of the field was arranged in order of home runs.

Can the lad hit? You’ll be the judge of Judge.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman