When a hitter is mentioned in the same company as Babe Ruth, it’s usually a good thing.
That was the case Saturday afternoon for Aaron Judge, whose two-run home run in the first inning of the Yankees’ 8-3 win over the Blue Jays in the Bronx tied him with the Bambino for a nearly century-old franchise record.
Judge now boasts 16 first-inning home runs this season, matching the number Ruth hit in the opening frame of his famous 60-homer campaign in 1927.
Only Alex Rodriguez, who hit 18 first-inning home runs with Texas in 2001, and Mark McGwire, who hit 17 with St. Louis two years earlier, struck more in a single season in MLB history.
Judge’s 426-foot blast against Toronto’s José Berríos gave the Yankees (66-46) an early 2-1 advantage Saturday, and they led the rest of the way.
It was Judge’s MLB-leading 41st home run of the season, putting him on pace for 59. Judge had 45 home runs through the Yankees’ 112th game of 2022, when he set an American League single-season record with 62.
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