Linden’s Aaron Judge Ties American League Record With 61st Home Run

Roger Maris has company.

Just a week shy of the 61st anniversary of Maris’ record-setting 61st home run, New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has matched the record after drilling his 61st home run of the season on Wednesday night.

Maris, who also played for the Yankees from 1960-1966, has held the American League home run record for 61 years.

61 years since 61.

Aaron Judge has written his name alongside Roger Maris in baseball's record books. pic.twitter.com/1V4Gums34C

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 29, 2022

Judge, a native of Linden, California, is currently enjoying one of the most incredible single seasons of baseball in recent memory as the 30-year-old is leading Major League Baseball in a variety of categories that include home runs, runs batted in, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and total bases.

Entering play on Wednesday, Judge was in position to secure baseball’s first Triple Crown title since the Detroit Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera did so during the 2012 season. In baseball, a Triple Crown winner leads their respective league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.

The four-time All-Star and Rookie of the Year award winner grew up just 47 miles away from Sacramento in Linden, where he was a three-sport standout at Linden High School in baseball, basketball, and football. After being heavily recruited to college football as a tight end, Judge chose the route of baseball and attended California State University, Fresno from 2010 through 2013.

After seven years in the Bronx, Judge will be a free agent at the end of the season. Although the slugger is widely expected to ink a massive deal with the Yankees, the San Francisco Giants could attempt to pry Judge away from New York as the probable MVP grew up a big fan of the orange and black.

@SportsFan85 favorite team is the Giants and my favorite players are Giancarlo Stanton and Albert Pujols.

— Aaron Judge (@TheJudge44) January 31, 2013

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