WATCH: Yankee Stadium crowd vociferously boos Pirates pitcher for walking Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge is on the verge of attaining baseball immortality. The New York Yankees slugger notched his 60th home run of the year on Tuesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Judge is now only one big swing away from tying Roger Maris’ long-standing American League record for most home runs in a season. He also matched Babe Ruth’s tally of 60 homers, becoming only the third Yankee in history to reach that milestone.
Naturally, every pitch thrown Judge’s way is a chance for him to level with Maris and subsequently, break his record.
The Yankees crowd has been eagerly anticipating that historic moment. When Pirates pitcher Eric Stout walked Judge in his final at-bat during Game 2, the fans made their disapproval known loud and clear.
Judge gets walked and the crowd boos HEAVILY https://t.co/neyhqiUFVT
"Judge gets walked and the crowd boos HEAVILY" - Talkin' Yanks
However, the bigger picture made for pleasant viewing for the Bronx Bombers. Not only did they win, they made a statement by beating the Pirates 14-2.
Rookie sensation Oswaldo Cabrera scored his first career grand slam. Cabrera and Gleyber Torres notched five RBIs each. Torres homered twice in the eighth inning, one to right and one to left, raising his season total to 23.
With 14 games left, Judge leads the AL in average (.317), home runs, and RBIs (128). He is in contention to win the MLB’s first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. If successful, he would also become the first Yankee since Mickey Mantle in 1956 to accomplish that feat.
New York Yankees fans are desperate for Aaron Judge to stay beyond 2022
After scoring his 60th home run of the season on Tuesday, Aaron Judge reflected on his landmark achievements. He left a heartfelt message for Yankees fans, who desperately want their main man to stay beyond this campaign.
"Getting a chance to play baseball in Yankee Stadium in a packed house on a first-place team, that's what you dream about."
- Aaron Judge https://t.co/eLaY28PhVN
""Getting a chance to play baseball in Yankee Stadium in a packed house on a first-place team, that's what you dream about." - Aaron Judge
Judge is due to enter free agency after this season, which is cause for anxiety across the Yankees organization. He turned down a seven-year, $213.5 million contract extension at the start of the year, taking a huge gamble on himself.
Fair to say, it’s a gamble that has paid off extraordinarily well. The ball is now in Judge’s court while negotiating numbers, shifting the pressure onto the Yankees. An overwhelming majority of fans want the club to pay whatever it takes to make him stay.