New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has bounced back from a rough April, showcasing a red-hot May with yet another multi-hit display on Saturday against the San Diego Padres. He went 2-for-4, including a double and a towering two-run home run off Padres’ ace Dylan Cease in the first inning. This marks Judge’s fourth consecutive game with a home run.
Judge’s first-inning blast put him in a three-way tie with Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson and Astros’ Kyle Tucker for the MLB lead with 17 home runs on the season. Judge also now leads all of baseball in slugging percentage (.637) and OPS (1.050), and leads the American League in doubles with 18. He has now raised his batting average to .280 after hitting under the Mendoza Line for the first month of the season.
Aaron Judge and the Yankees have been on a tear in May
Despite a challenging start to the regular season, Judge struggled significantly in the first month. Yankees manager Aaron Boone expressed confidence in Judge at the end of April, despite his low batting average of .197 and only 24 hits going into May 2nd. Boone’s faith proved well-placed, as Judge has since surged, tallying 11 home runs, 21 RBIs, and an impressive OPS of 1.489 in May. Once again, he has established himself as one of the premier hitters in the sport.
In the aftermath of Saturday’s victory against the Padres, where they triumphed 4-1 and achieved a record of 37-17, Judge stands out as the inaugural player in MLB history to tally a minimum of 12 doubles and 11 home runs within any 20-game period, as noted by the Yankees’ X account.
