Watch: 102-story Empire State Building shimmers in New York Yankees signature colors to honor Aaron Judge's historic feat
Aaron Judge was given a fitting tribute by New York's most iconic building after scripting history with his 62nd home run of the season on Tuesday.
The Empire State Building sparkled in blue and white for 62 seconds after the game in Arlington, Texas. The Twitter handle for the Empire State Building shared a clip with a short message celebrating Judge's feat.
"We’re sparkling in Yankees pinstripes for 62 seconds to celebrate Judge's 62nd home run," the video was captioned.
We’re sparkling in @Yankees pinstripes for 62 seconds to celebrate @TheJudge44’s 62nd home run https://t.co/enZuuX4uGD
The Yankees beat the Texas Rangers 3-2, having already clinched the AL East title for the first time since 2019. Judge, who was unsuccessful in the Yankees' previous home game against the Baltimore Orioles, wasted no time as he blasted one into the stands at the Globe Life Field.
After the game, Judge described how he felt at breaking Roger Maris' long-standing record. He said it was a "big relief" and "great honor" to be in such a position.
“It’s a big relief. I think that everyone can sit back down in their seats and watch the ballgame, you know? No, but it’s been a fun ride so far. Getting a chance to do this, with the team we’ve got, the guys surrounding me, the constant support from my family who've been with me through this whole thing … it’s been a great honor.”
Aaron Judge's remarkable 2022 campaign with the New York Yankees
Aaron Judge leads the MLB home run race by a huge margin over the Phillies' Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber has hit 46 home runs this season, 16 shy of Judge's mark. This margin is the largest since Jimmie Foxx beat out Babe Ruth by 17 homers in 1932.
Judge also has 131 RBIs with a .311 batting average, behind only the Twins' Luis Arraez. He was hoping to become the first Triple Crown winner since Miguel Cabrera in 2012, but that's unlikely to happen.
However, he remains the frontrunner for the AL MVP award. Having finally broken Maris' long-standing record, the 30-year-old will shift his focus to the postseason.