Yankees’ Aaron Judge making run at very rare, amazing feat

CHICAGO — Yankees manager Aaron Boone looked up at the scoreboard during a recent game and was stunned seeing a list of the majors’ OPS leaders. He knew Aaron Judge was first, but seeing his 1.100-plus OPS was .200 higher than the next highest blew him away.

“Mind boggling,” Boone said Saturday before the Yankees beat the White Sox 5-3 in 11 innings for their seventh win in a row.

Judge also has a nice lead in his chase for a first batting crown, and if he gets to the finish line the crown will bring a very rare feat:

A batting title with 40-plus home runs.

That’s been accomplished only 16 times by 13 players, the last being Miguel Cabrera in 2012 and 2013 for the Tigers.

“He’s just an unbelievable player and a guy that I really haven’t felt has been hot at any point in the season, like he has in some years,” Boone said of Judge. “That’s what’s remarkable. The year he’s putting up, I feel like he’s grinding through it.”

After going 1-for-4 with his 41st homer on Saturday, Judge’s AL-best batting average was at .321, 13 points ahead of Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette’s .308 and 14 up on Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena’s .307.

Amazingly, those three the only hitters in the league hitting .300 and there are just two in the National League. Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman at .300.

“I think it’s harder to hit now,” Boone said. “With bullpens the way they are, you’re not facing guys typically three and four times through an order. I just look at it through my eyes here now to what I used to face. It’s quite a bit different in my opinion.”

It’s not affecting Judge, who only has to hold off the other .300 hitters for four more weeks to become the Yankees’ first batting champ since DJ LeMahieu in 2020 and 10th all-time.

“It is unbelievable,” Boone said. “It’s just more testament to how good he is.”

Judge’s average has dropped 20 points since he came off the injured list on Aug. 5 after missing nine games with a right elbow flexor strain. Still not over his injury, he’s been the Yankees’ DH for 23 games in a row since returning and is hitting just .218 in August with five homers and 11 RBI.

But’s he’s picked it up this week going 4-for-13 in his last four games with a 429-foot homer in the fourth inning of Saturday’s game against a tough rookie, White Sox All-Star right-hander Shane Smith.

“Good to see that,” Boone said. “He’ll get going. You can’t (Judge) hold him down too long. You know a hot streak’s around the corner.”

AL BATTING RACE

1. Aaron Judge, Yankees, .321 average, 455 AB, 146 hits, 126 games

2. Bo Bichette, Blue Jays, .308 average, 559 AB, 172 hits, 133 games

3. Jeremy Pena, Astros, .307 average, 417 AB, 128 hits, 107 games

4. Bobby Witt Jr., Royals, .299 average, 529 AB, 158 hits, 134 games

5. George Springer, Blue Jays, .298 avg, 396 AB, 118 hits, 114 games

BATTING TITLE WITH 40+ HOMERSAMERICAN LEAGUE

1924: Babe Ruth, Yankees, .378 average, 46 HR

1933 Jimmie Foxx, Phila A’s, .356 average, 48 HR

1934: Lou Gehrig, Yankees, 363 average, 49 HR

1938 Jimmie Foxx, Phila A’s, .349 average, 50 HR

1961 Norm Cash, Tigers, .361 average, 41 HR

1966: Frank Robinson, Orioles, .316 average, 49 HR

1967: Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox, .326 average, 44 HR

2012: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, .330 average, 44 HR

2013: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers, .348 average, 44 HR

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1922: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, 401 average, 42 HR

1954: Willie Mays, NY Giants, 345 average, 41 HR

2000: Todd Helton, Rockies, 372 average, 42 HR

2002: Barry Bonds Giants, .370 average, 46 HR

2004: Barry Bonds Giants, .362 average, 45 HR

2005: Derrek Lee, Cubs, .335 average, 46 HR

2019: Christian Yelich, Brewers, .329 average, 44 HR

YANKEES BATTING CHAMPS

Babe Ruth, 1924: .378 average

Lou Gehrig, 1934: .363 average

Joe DiMaggio, 1939: .381 average

Joe DiMaggio, 1940: .352 average

Snuffy Stirnweiss, 1945: .309 average

Mickey Mantle, 1956: .353 average

Don Mattingly, 1984: .343 average

Paul O’Neill, 1994: .359 average

Bernie Williams, 1998: .339 average

DJ LeMahieu, 2020: .364 average

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.

Randy Miller may be reached at rmiller@njadvancemedia.com.

Yankees’ Aaron Judge making run at very rare, amazing feat

Tags: