Judge Ties Yogi Berra for Home Runs with Yankees: History and Reactions

CHICAGO – Aaron Judge, after hitting his home run in the first inning, was greeted by his manager, Aaron Boone, with a shout that echoed in the dugout: “Yogi!”. And that was that. Judge tied Yogi Berra, Hall of Famer and Yankees legend, for fifth in franchise history with his 358th home run. This home run occurred during the 3-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

Not getting the win hurts, but having the opportunity to tie with one of the greatest, if not the greatest, Yankee in terms of home runs is something very special. The way Yogi played, what it meant to these pinstripes, you knew how much it meant to be a Yankee to him. I feel the same way. I am honored to wear this jersey, so it’s great to be on that list with him.

Aaron Judge

Judge’s hit, against a cut fastball from Martin Perez, was a solo shot that went flying into center field. Judge’s 43rd home run of the season had an exit velocity of 112.6 mph and traveled 426 feet. In the third at-bat, Judge almost hit another home run, but his hit crashed against the center field wall, resulting in a double. He also hit a single in the fifth and struck out in the seventh. Batting with a runner on in the ninth, with one out, he flied out to center field.

He just missed the last one. I thought he made the right move on the pitch. It looked like he got a pitch that I thought he connected with excellently. He got a little underneath it and hit it straight up in the air. So those things happen.

Aaron Boone

Judge also hit a solo home run in the Yankees’ victory in 11 innings on Saturday night. The two-time American League Most Valuable Player and seven-time All-Star hit .241 (20 for 83) with six home runs, 12 RBIs, and an on-base percentage of .417 in 24 games in August. What’s next for Judge and the Yankees are four consecutive series against playoff contenders, starting with the first game of a three-game series in Houston on Tuesday night.

That’s what we want. The end is near. We want to play against the best teams and, especially, reach the postseason, that’s what it’s all about.

Aaron Judge

Babe Ruth (659 home runs), Mickey Mantle (536), Lou Gehrig (493), and Joe DiMaggio (361) top the Yankees’ home run list. Judge’s home run produced the first change in the franchise’s top five since Mantle hit his 203rd home run on August 7, 1957, breaking a tie with Bill Dickey. Judge was selected by the Yankees in the first round of the 2013 amateur draft and made his debut with the Yankees in 2016. Berra was 90 years old when he died in 2015.

I didn’t get to see him much. He was definitely around in the Major League camp. But he was a special individual. A lot of the veterans speak very highly of him. Probably some of their favorite memories, you know, coming to spring training was getting a chance to talk to him during camp, just hearing some of his stories.

Aaron Judge

Judge was activated from the 10-day injured list on August 5 after being sidelined by a strain in his right elbow flexor. He has been acting as the team’s designated hitter, but could return to the outfield at some point this season.