Last Tuesday, a swing by Aaron Judge ended in the stands and the Yankees player reached 60 home runs in the campaign. One home run from the mark Roger Maristhe 30-year-old outfielder was thought to have a chance of matching Barry Bonds’ recordbut does it have a chance?
Judge and a record that will not be
The short answer is no, Judge will not reach 73 home runs in Barry Bonds this year. When he reached 60 HR, Bonds himself saw as viable the possibility that ‘The Judge’ was the third player in history to exceed the 70 homer mark.
“Let him go for the record,” Bonds said about it. “The way he hits, maybe he can hit one a day and beat me. I don’t mind”.
However, when the former Giants player gave his forecast, Judge already had 60 home runs and the Yankees had 13 games to go. Since then, New York has played six games and in that time the outfielder has not recorded any home runs, in addition to an average of .278 and eight walks traded.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: Boston does not allow Judge to make history at his expense
Even on September 20, matching Bonds was already almost unlikely. The record for most consecutive Major League games with a home run is eight games. (brand shared by Ken Griffey Jr., Don Mattingly and Dale Long).
The silver lining that existed for Judge was gone tonight, when the Yankees still had 10 games left on their schedule. The record for most home runs in a period of ten games is 12. figure reached only by Albert Belle in 1995 and Kyle Schwarber this season (even equaling this record, ‘The Judge’ would stay one HR behind Bonds).
Another slim chance comes from Mattingly. The former Yankees player hit 10 home runs in eight games, league record; if Judge replicates this feat he would reach the 70 home run mark.