Aaron Judge, the ‘$360 million man’, made history as a ‘first’ for the New York Yankees. And he stood shoulder to shoulder with countless legends.
Judge started as right fielder and second hitter in the 2023 Major League Baseball home match against the Arizona Diamondbacks held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, New York, USA on the 23rd (Korean time), going 4 hits in 4 at-bats (3 home runs), 6 RBIs, and 3 runs. A ‘super strength show’ was presented.
Last year, Judge broke the American League record for the most home runs in a season by hitting 62 arches, leaving his name in history as the player who hit the most home runs among players in both major leagues who had never taken banned substances. And he qualified as a free agent (free agent) for the first time in his life, and received a 10-year, $360 million (approximately 481.1 billion won) ‘jackpot contract’ with the Yankees.
Judge once again proved why he is a $360 million player. Judge faced Arizona starter Brandon Pott in his first at-bat in the first inning, and started the game in a good mood by hitting a sweeper in the middle of the strike zone on the third pitch and hitting a double to center field. The only regret is that he did not score a goal due to a missed follow-up hit. But he didn’t have to rely on the team’s batting lineup.
From his second at-bat, Judge played the role of a ‘solver’. In the bottom of the 3rd inning with the score tied 0-0, Judge faced Pot once again with a scoring chance with 1 out and 1st and 2nd bases, and this time, he powerfully thrust his bat into a 92.9 mph (about 150 km) sinker formed on a low strike course. . It was immediately apparent that Judge’s batted ball was a home run as soon as it left the bat, and the batted ball traveled at a speed of 112.4 miles (approximately 180.9 km) and flew 420 feet (approximately 128 meters) over the right-center field fence. 33rd home run of the season.
The heated feeling of the blow did not seem to cool down. Judge hit a 92.7 mph (approximately 149.2 km) four-seam fastball into the middle of the strike zone on the 4th pitch of the pot from second base with no outs in the bottom of the 5th inning, leading 4-0. And this batted ball also led to a two-run home run that went over the right-center field fence. The 34th home run of the season was measured at an exit speed of 101.3 miles (about 163 km) and a distance of 379 feet (about 115.5 m).
It was ‘perfect’ right down to the ending. Judge, who had already created two home runs and a double, sent a ball over the fence in his fourth at-bat. In the bottom of the 7th inning, Judge succeeded in running away with a 5-0 lead, and he pushed forward with all his might on a 94.8 mph (approximately 152.6 m) fastball from Arizona’s changed pitcher Slade Ceconi. And this batted ball flew at a speed of 108.4 miles (approximately 174.5 km) and became a home run that fell on the second floor of the right bleachers of Yankee Stadium.
With his home run that day, Judge set several records. Judge had his first three home run game of the year on August 24th against the Washington Nationals. And on this day, he once again showed a 3-home run game against Arizona, and according to local American media, it was the ‘first’ in the history of the Yankees to hit 3 home runs more than once in a game.
Judge suffered a ligament injury to his right toe while catching JD Martinez’s home run hit during a match against the Los Angeles Dodgers last June. Initially, Judge’s injury did not appear to be serious. However, as time passed, there was no news of Judge’s return, and he returned on July 29th after a hiatus of over a month.
At the end of the game on the 23rd, the Yankees have 8 games remaining. Even if Judge plays in all remaining games, he will miss 54 games this year. According to ESPN, he is only the second player in 86 years to miss more than 50 games and hit 35 home runs after Rudy York in 1937. was left behind.
The record does not stop here. According to Sarah Langs of ‘MLB.com’, Judge has hit multiple home runs in a game six times this year, making it his fourth season to do so, putting him on par with Mark McGwire, David Otis, Babe Ruth, and Jimmy Fox. Judge will make major league history if he hits multiple home runs in six games during the remainder of his career.스포츠토토
Despite being on hiatus for more than a month, Judge has recorded 93 hits, 35 home runs, 80 RBIs, 74 runs, a batting average of 0.267, and an OPS of 1.011 in 100 games this season. Although his sophistication is a little off, he still shows off his power. Judge suddenly ranked 3rd in home runs in the American League, and succeeded in narrowing the gap with Shohei Ohtani (LA Angels), the likely home run king, to 9. Of course, the possibility is not high, but a ‘surprise’ of the home run king may be born. This is why Judge receives a whopping $360 million.