Aaron Judge continues to set records as the dismal Yankees season comes to a close.
Judge contributed six RBIs to New York’s 7-1 victory over the Diamondbacks on Friday night by hitting three home runs against them. The outfielder had already accomplished the feat against the Nationals earlier in the season, making it his second three-home run game of the campaign.
No Yankee batter before Judge had ever hit three home runs in a single game, which he has done twice this year.
The year of the reigning MVP has gone unnoticed because of Judge’s ongoing toe injury and the Yankees’ difficulties. Judge, though, has 35 home runs in just 100 games this season, which ties Rudy York for the most home runs hit by a player who missed at least 50 games or more.
If Judge hadn’t spent time on the injured list, he would have at least come close to breaking his AL home run record from the previous season. In 2022, Judge played 100 games and hit 42 home runs, but that was back when he wasn’t dealing with a toe ailment like he is this year.
Judge nonetheless lived up to the first year of his massive contract despite seeing little playing time, even though the Yankees are unlikely to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016.