Aaron Judge has been tearing apart the competition in May, leading Major League Baseball (MLB) in home runs with 19 long balls. Just a month ago, concerns were raised about his performance as he struggled with a .174 batting average and had only hit three home runs with 31 strikeouts. At the age of 32, it seemed like his hard-swinging approach might have finally caught up to him.
However, those fears have been erased as Judge displayed his power against the San Francisco Giants on Friday, hitting two home runs in the game to bring his season total to 20. The first home run set a new record for the most extra-base hits in May by a Yankee, previously held by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. This record-breaking performance highlights just how dominant Judge has been lately.
Judge’s incredible May includes a batting average of .355 with an on-base percentage of .479 and a slugging percentage of .871. He also leads the American League (AL) in several categories such as doubles, walks, total bases, slugging percentage, and OPS. His outstanding performance, combined with strong showings from Juan Soto and the Yankees’ rotation, has propelled the team to first place in the AL East with a 39-19 record entering Friday.
