Powerhouse Aaron Judge belted his majors-best 29th homer in Wednesday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays, matching the New York Yankees’ rookie franchise record set in 1936 by Joe DiMaggio.
Judge went deep for the second time in as many days on Wednesday when he deposited a pitch from Marco Estrada over the wall in right-center field for a two-run homer during the fourth inning. The blast, which came in Judge’s 83rd game this season, trimmed Toronto’s lead to 5-2.
Judge’s 29 homers are the most by a rookie prior to the All-Star break since Chicago White Sox slugger Jose Abreu had the same number in 2014. Mark McGwire had 33 with the Oakland Athletics in 1987.
The 25-year-old Judge is the American League’s leading vote-getter for the upcoming All-Star Game in Miami. He will also participate in the Home Run Derby.