#Shortstops: Bat for a Judge

This solo shot was the capstone to a monster 2022 campaign from the Yankees outfielder in which he took home the American League Most Valuable Player Award, the Silver Slugger Award and the Hank Aaron Award for best overall offensive AL player. The home run in Arlington was his 62nd of the season, a new American League record, breaking the 61-mark held by Roger Maris since 1961. The 6-foot-7 slugger had undeniably made history, but this would not be the first time Judge had broken a decades-old baseball record.

Judge was drafted by the Yankees with the 32nd pick of the MLB draft in 2013 and made his major league debut on Aug. 13, 2016. It did not take Judge very long to first enter the history books. Judge demolished a changeup from Tampa Bay Rays starter Matt Andriese deep to center field with his Chandler Bats AJ44 model bat.

A home run in your first at-bat is already rare, but fellow Yankees rookie Tyler Austin had flicked a fastball from Andriese into the right field seats for a home run in the at-bat right before Judge. Judge and Austin became the first ever major league teammates to hit back-to-back home runs in their first at-bats, a feat never seen before in baseball.

The bat used by Judge to hit his first home run is now a part of the collection at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

The following Spring Training he would win the starting right field job. Judge never looked back and produced one of the greatest rookie seasons by a position player (he did not exceed rookie limits in 2016), going on to break numerous rookie records.

His first broken record would be Joe DiMaggio’s franchise record of 29 home runs by a rookie. Judge achieved this after blasting a solo home run against the Brewers on July 7.

Next record up was Ted Williams’ MLB record of 107 walks, broken by Judge on Aug. 31 against the rival Boston Red Sox. Judge would then shatter Mark McGwire’s rookie MLB record of 49 home runs on Sept. 25, after crushing a solo shot to right-center field in a 7-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

Judge would finish his monster 2017 campaign with 52 home runs, soundly winning the American League Rookie of the Year award and finishing second in MVP voting.