Aaron Judge Stands Alone

A little over 100 years ago, a charismatic and portly slugger named Babe Ruth began swatting balls over outfield fences by volume, helping establish the home run as one of the most coveted individual achievements in sports, and the Yankees as the most honored franchise.

Ruth's records, including 60 home runs in 1927, became sacred milestones, cherished for decades by millions.  In 1961, Roger Maris, as humble and retiring as Ruth was gregarious, broke the single-season record when he hit 61 homers, also for the Yankees.

Now Aaron Judge, as physically imposing as Ruth and as modest as Maris, has passed them both, homering against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday to reach 62 for the season, setting a new American League record.

From Ruth to Maris and now Judge, the A.L.'s single-season home run record is stitched together in pinstripes.

-- David Waldstein, "With His 62nd Home Run, Aaron Judge Stands Alone in A.L.", New York Times, 4 October 2022