All eyes are on the Bronx as the MLB season draws to a close and Aaron Judge pursues milestone after milestone.
All eyes are on the Bronx as the MLB season draws to a close and Aaron Judge pursues milestone after milestone.
The Yankees outfielder has already hit 60 home runs and is still going strong, but he also has his sights set on the Triple Crown, which is an extremely improbable feat. Since Carl Yastrzemski won the Triple Crown in 1967, there has only been one other winner, Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in 2012.
When it appeared that the National League may produce a leader in batting average, home runs, and runs scored, Aaron Judge burst into the Triple Crown scene. Paul Goldschimdt appeared to be a serious danger in St. Louis, but he has now fallen behind Kyle Schwarber in terms of home runs.
Home runs and RBIs are already two categories that Aaron Judge practically controls. He is now competing for the batting average crown with Luis Arraez of the Twins and Xander Bogaerts of the Red Sox. He and Bogaerts are now tied for first place in the AL.
What is the Triple Crown?
For those who are unaware, a player wins the Triple Crown if they are the league leader in batting average, home runs, and RBIs in either the American or National Leagues.
The accomplishment is quite uncommon, especially in today’s baseball where contact is frequently foregone in favor of launch angle.
The Triple Crown used to be less common, but it is now almost unheard of in modern baseball. With a batting average of.330, 44 home runs, and 139 RBIs in 2012, Cabrera earned MVP. Baseball’s best numbers were the latter two.
The most recent recipient of the honor before Cabrera was Yastrzemski, who batted.326 with 44 home runs and 121 RBIs.
How close is Aaron Judge to a Triple Crown?
With an unstoppable lead over Yordan Alvarez in the home run race and a huge one over Jose Ramirez in the RBI race, Aaron Judge has the races for most home runs and RBIs all but sealed up.
After Sunday’s abbreviated game, he and Bogaerts are tied for first in the league in hitting average, where the race is more competitive. Given that Aaron Judge’s batting average was just.282 in July, it is amazing that he is even in this situation. In what is perhaps the finest contract year in MLB history, Aaron Judge is again in a position to hit yet another peak thanks to his blistering speed.
From August 1 through Sunday, Aaron Judge is currently hitting.352, which has helped to raise his total average to.314.
Of course, Bogaerts, who has consistently been close to the top of the scoreboard, is Judge’s biggest challenge right now.
