Yankees slugger Aaron Judge hit his 50th home run of the season on Sunday during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies.
Judge connected with a 0-2 changeup from Austin Gomber, sending the ball into the left-center bullpen and giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. This home run was his 18th in the first inning this season, tying the major league record set by Alex Rodriguez in 2001.
Judge now joins Alex Rodriguez, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire, and Babe Ruth as the only players to have three seasons with 50 or more home runs.
Rodriguez had two 50-homer seasons with Texas in 2001 and 2002 and hit 54 for the Yankees in 2007.
Sosa hit 50 or more home runs for four consecutive seasons from 1998 to 2001, while McGwire did the same from 1996 to 1999, including his 70-homer season in 1998.
Ruth hit 50 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons in 1920 and 1921, and again in 1927 and 1928 with the Yankees.
Ruth’s 60 home runs in 1927 were an American League record until Roger Maris broke it with 61 in 1961. Judge set a new single-season American League record with 62 home runs in 2022.
Two years ago, Judge hit his 50th home run in New York’s 129th game of the season, with a shot in Anaheim against Angels reliever Ryan Tepera.
