'My great grandkids will know about Aaron Judge': Yankees teammates on the home runs that made history

THROUGHOUT THE 2022 SEASON, as overmuch arsenic New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said publically helium was not reasoning astir location tally records, astir the past astir his 2022 season, the legends of shot lore recovered him anyway.

Before a crippled against the Boston Red Sox successful precocious September, Judge stood astatine his locker arsenic a clubhouse attendant handed him an August 1961 contented of Life Magazine, featuring Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris connected the cover. Judge held the mag for a fewer beats, staring astatine the Yankees legends, earlier putting the mag connected the support of his locker. Since then, it has stared backmost astatine him each clip helium gets acceptable for a game.

"Ruth, Mantle, Maris," Judge says. "You ne'er imagined arsenic a kid getting mentioned with them."

With an American League grounds 62-home tally season, Judge has joined those Yankees successful the grounds books -- and connected covers of magazines similar The New Yorker. Even earlier this year, Judge was 1 of the fewer shot stars whose personage transcended the sport, but his singular 2022 play took him to a caller level. Heading into Thursday's awards unveiling, the coveted escaped cause is the favourite to beryllium named AL Most Valuable Player.

The spotlight wasn't ever comfortable.

"I effort to lessen my clip outside," Judge tells ESPN. "Don't get asked questions oregon stopped by TV cameras astir definite things."

As Judge approached the 61-home-run people acceptable by Maris successful 1961, the dynamic during each Judge at-bat changed. Fans astatine Yankee Stadium and connected the roadworthy stood up for each pitch, taking retired their smartphones to papers history. Crowds roared up until the infinitesimal the pitchers began striding toward the plate, erstwhile they'd spell soundless until the transportation crossed. Every Judge at-bat prompted a notification connected smartphones oregon a unrecorded cut-in connected ESPN. They became the defining affirmative memories of the Yankees' 2022 season, particularly aft the squad bowed retired of the playoffs, erstwhile Judge deed .138/.184/.306 with 2 homers successful 9 games.

While Judge wanted to artifact retired the noise, the quality successful the ambiance astatine the stadium was palpable.

"I truly archetypal heard it against the Pittsburgh Pirates wherever I led the crippled with a treble and I didn't perceive immoderate cheers," Judge says. "I felt similar radical were disappointed. Even aboriginal successful the game, I had different treble and I astir heard a suspiration of, like, 'Ahh.' Like travel on, it's a adjacent crippled and that's a double. It should beryllium cheering."

As overmuch arsenic Judge wanted to dainty 2022 similar immoderate different season, it intelligibly was not. It was wide to those of america watching astatine home, arsenic good arsenic those with him astatine the stadium each time -- each clip helium stepped to the plate, his teammates moved to the apical measurement of the dugout to ticker past successful the making. This is their position connected his season, and connected immoderate of his astir memorable location runs on the mode to No. 62.

April 13: Home tally No. 1

It's hard to ideate that successful a play successful which Aaron Judge hits 62 location runs, it takes him 13 games -- a comparative drought -- to get his archetypal dinger connected the board. No. 1 comes disconnected Jose Berrios connected a 91.9 mph sinker going 413 feet during a 6-4 nonaccomplishment to the Toronto Blue Jays.

Despite the "drought" to commencement the season, Judge's teammates and those astir the Yankees bash not request overmuch grounds for them to judge 2022 could beryllium a historical year.

DJ LeMahieu, Yankees infielder: Pretty aboriginal connected we knew he's capable. He's deed 50 before. He's susceptible each twelvemonth successful The Show. And helium was conscionable successful a groove aboriginal connected successful the season.

Jameson Taillon, Yankees pitcher: In the clubhouse, the conversations conscionable happened organically. Everybody was watching the fig spell up and past it started truly becoming a happening successful present the past fewer weeks. He's been truthful freaking dependable the full time. We've each been individually conscionable watching, like, he's got a shot.

Michael King, Yankees pitcher: Oh my god, it feels similar you're backmost successful past watching Babe Ruth.

Judge: It's conscionable ne'er been a absorption of mine. It was ne'er a absorption of excavation to spell retired determination and deed 70 homers. If it was, I deliberation I'd beryllium reasoning astir that each year. Focus connected mindset. Hit .300 and thrust successful a definite magnitude of runs. My main absorption is ever what tin I bash to assistance this team? First triumph the part and past spell retired determination and hopefully triumph the World Series.

May 3: Home tally No. 9

During a 9-1 blowout of the Blue Jays successful Toronto, Judge hits a 427-foot homer into the 2nd platform disconnected Alek Manoah that is much memorable for everything that happens aft the shot lands successful the stands. After Blue Jays instrumentality Mike Lanzillotta catches the moonshot, helium hands the shot to 9-year-old Yankees instrumentality Derek Rodriguez, who begins sobbing with joyousness and acknowledgment Lanzillotta with a monolithic hug successful a moment that goes viral connected societal media.

Derek Rodriguez, Yankees fan: I was truthful happy. All I tin retrieve is I said convey you and I hugged [Lanzillotta]. I brought it to school; my friends and teacher congratulated me. They each wanted to perceive what happened. It was conscionable amazing. My teacher adjacent made a presumption wherever she showed what happened, and radical got to interaction the ball.

Judge: For a Blue Jays instrumentality to person that infinitesimal with a Yankee fan, that's a infinitesimal seen astir the world. It speaks volumes to the Blue Jays fans they person here.

Aaron Boone, Yankees manager: That's pugnacious to beat. That's 1 of those moments that warms your heart.

On the pursuing day, Judge meets with some Rodriguez and Lanzillotta connected the field.

Judge: I asked him who his favourite subordinate was, and helium turned astir with his small jersey. It inactive gives maine goosebumps seeing small kids wearing my number, my jersey.

May 10: Home tally No. 10

Judge hits his archetypal walk-off homer of the play connected a hanging slider from Blue Jays person Jordan Romano. With 1 retired successful the inning, Romano walked catcher Jose Trevino and infielder DJ LeMahieu to bring Judge up to the plate.

LeMahieu: You conscionable privation to get connected basal for him. That's benignant of however each of america feel. Because we conscionable privation to get connected basal due to the fact that thing bully is going to happen. If you're down him, he's going to get connected and you conscionable privation to support the enactment moving.

Jose Trevino, Yankees catcher: We're going backmost and distant and for america to get connected basal for him to travel up deed and locomotion off, I was conscionable getting acceptable to run.

June 26: Home tally No. 28

Judge hits his 2nd walk-off location tally of the season, a three-run, 417-foot homer successful the 10th inning disconnected Houston Astros reliever Seth Martinez connected an 80.2 mph slider, bringing location Matt Carpenter and Aaron Hicks -- and a 6-3 victory.

Matt Carpenter, Yankees INF/OF: I conscionable deliberation that he's going to deed a location tally each clip helium goes up there. He's a robot.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Yankees shortstop: It's hard to explain, but it's conscionable his personality. The mode helium goes astir his business, the confidence, the humbleness. If you're successful the locker room, you don't deliberation he's a superstar due to the fact that of the mode helium acts. It's the aforesaid each day, nary substance what. If we're winning oregon losing, helium stays the same, and I deliberation the information that helium tin enactment neutral is truly allowing him to bash what he's doing.

July 16: Home runs No. 32 and 33

During a 14-0 rout of the Boston Red Sox successful the Bronx, Judge hits his 32nd and 33rd location runs of the season, the archetypal a 401-foot changeable disconnected Nick Pivetta connected a 85.6 mph slider and the 2nd a 444-foot moonshot to halfway disconnected reliever Kaleb Ort connected a 86.4 mph slider.

As Judge charges into the All-Star interruption with 33 homers, immoderate members of the Yankees clubhouse statesman to ponder however galore the slugger could decorativeness the play with.

Trevino: Guys were talking astir it successful July.

Aaron Hicks, Yankees outfielder: It's similar f---, let's spot however overmuch much you tin do.

Trevino: We each thought helium was conscionable going to support going, support hitting homers.

Taillon: After the archetypal half, you person clip to bespeak and you spot those 33 location runs. But it mightiness beryllium unrealistic to expect him to conscionable repetition that.

July 22: Home runs No. 35 and 36

Still caller disconnected the All-Star break, Judge hits 2 homers against the Baltimore Orioles, his seventh multi-home tally crippled of the play astatine the time. His 2nd homer of the crippled is his longest of the year, a 465-foot changeable to center.

For the Yankees, the location tally teardrop marks a infinitesimal erstwhile Judge chasing the location tally grounds transitions from anticipation to reality.

Taillon: We'd person a mates of talks astir it earlier the All-Star break, but it's like, man, he's going to request to repetition successful the 2nd fractional what helium did successful the first. And past helium comes retired of the gross and pops off. That's erstwhile it becomes real. He means business.

Dillon Lawson, Yankees hitting coach: He doesn't discarded immoderate time. He does precisely what helium needs. There is simply a precision that's awesome and a batch of intelligence toughness, which helium works on. He doesn't person to consciousness bully successful bid to play good, which is unique. Everyone wants to consciousness bully earlier the game. That's going to pb to bully performance, but helium leaves the cage connected a foul shot oregon a swing-and-miss disconnected the machine. It's not astir however helium feels. It's astir what helium does.

Anthony Rizzo, Yankees archetypal baseman: He's ever asking questions. He by nary means thinks helium has thing figured retired and helium has fun. Being an mundane presumption player, you benignant of person to beryllium selfish arsenic acold arsenic getting acceptable and making definite your body's acceptable and getting your regular right. It's harder to beryllium a vocal, louder leader, but helium does specified a bully occupation astatine being vocal and having fun.

Kyle Higashioka, Yankees catcher: He's taken up the mantle of squad captain.

July 24: Home tally No. 37

During his 2nd at-bat of the time against Orioles pitcher Dean Kremer, a instrumentality astatine Camden Yards is intelligibly heard yelling, "He's going to onslaught out!" instantly earlier Judge hits a 456-foot homer connected a 75.6 mph curveball.

— Gabe (@PlayoffTanaka_) July 24, 2022

It's that benignant of calm successful the midst of jeering from fans and extracurricular sound astir the Yankees that inspires assurance successful Judge's teammates.

Taillon: When you instrumentality the tract knowing you person astir apt the champion presumption subordinate successful the satellite down you, that's a bully feeling. I utilized to get really, truly tense connected commencement days and I saw our lineup successful my archetypal 3 starts past twelvemonth and I'm looking astir and I'm like, Aaron Judge is down me, Giancarlo Stanton, those guys are backing you up each day. Judge is astatine the halfway of that.

July 28: Home tally No. 39

Judge hits his 3rd walk-off homer of the twelvemonth disconnected Kansas City Royals reliever Scott Barlow connected a 95.4 mph fastball that flies 431 feet to halfway field. The Yankees conflict aboriginal successful the game, not scoring disconnected starter Brady Singer, who strikes retired 10 batters successful 7 shutout innings of one-hit ball, allowing conscionable 3 baserunners, nary of whom beforehand past 2nd base.

The homer is Judge's sixth successful 7 games.

Boone: It doesn't cease to amaze the play he's putting together. Barlow is evidently truly tough. He conscionable got a transportation and enactment it up successful the aerial wherever helium did. Not galore radical tin get it up and thrust it retired the mode that helium did. I didn't [think it was out], but I was talking to it, trying to springiness it a kick. I knew it had a accidental due to the fact that it was [Judge].

Gerrit Cole, Yankees pitcher: It's historical. It's unbelievable due to the fact that mediate relievers are throwing 95 mph these days, and the prime of worldly that the league is challenging him with is arsenic bully arsenic it's ever been. And he's been arsenic bully arsenic it's ever, ever been successful the look of each that.

Aug. 22 and 23: Home runs No. 47 and 48

After 9 consecutive games without a location run, Judge hits 2 successful 2 days -- some wins -- against the New York Mets successful a two-game Subway Series sweep. The archetypal comes connected a 95.7 mph fastball from Max Scherzer implicit the right-field obstruction and the 2nd disconnected Taijuan Walker, a 456-foot moonshot to left.

While the Yankees extremity the period with a 10-18 record, the 2nd worst people successful the American League successful that span, Judge carries the team's offense, hitting .289/.458/.633 with 9 homers and 22 RBIs.

Taijuan Walker, Mets pitcher: The biggest happening is that you can't fto him beryllium the feline to bushed you. You're conscionable trying to minimize the harm arsenic overmuch arsenic possible. You cognize a feline similar him is going to instrumentality his walks, helium doesn't care. He's conscionable locked successful connected each pitch. He was ever a feline that hits for homers and hits for average, truthful this twelvemonth hasn't truly been surprising. We each cognize who helium is, but you're trying to transportation to him and debar damage.

Pete Alonso, Mets archetypal baseman: It's peculiar to ticker for sure. I mean, he's a large beardown feline and being a slugger is evidently hitting the shot implicit the fence, radical wage a batch of attraction to location runs and worldly similar that. But the astir awesome happening is his attack and however he's been chasing down the batting rubric arsenic a large feline and pitchers pitching astir him due to the fact that they are scared, oregon being other cautious successful the zone. He tin deed the shot hard anywhere. It's genuinely truthful awesome and what a testament to his attack and his quality to support his timing and bushed passim the full year.

Francisco Lindor, Mets shortstop: His attraction level has been done the extortion due to the fact that to person a play similar that, the consistency, you person to beryllium locked successful time in, time out. You admit that due to the fact that that's truthful hard to bash and it says truthful overmuch astir his enactment ethic and however he's been capable to concentrate.

Michael Kay, Yankees announcer: You began to consciousness that thing could hap successful August due to the fact that helium conscionable kept hitting location runs and they conscionable kept pitching to him. The numbers conscionable kept going up, and I said he's got a chance. I thought helium could get to 64.

Sept. 7: Home tally No. 55

Judge sets the caller single-season Yankees location tally grounds for a right-handed hitter successful his 4th consecutive crippled with a location run. He hits it disconnected Louie Varland successful a 5-4 triumph implicit the Minnesota Twins.

Cole: When you speech astir consistency, you look astatine the poorest stretches of his play and it's not adjacent that bad. It's really good. You look astatine those stretches, stretches wherever determination aren't a batch of location runs, and effort to archer maine there's immoderate discrepancy successful the prime of the at-bats that he's giving. There's nary discrepancy. He's giving you a prime at-bat each time.

Sept. 18: Home runs No. 58 and 59

Judge hits 2 location runs against the Milwaukee Brewers, and finishes the bid with 7 hits successful 12 at-bats. Judge raises his mean six points, which vaults him into the contention for the batting rubric and the Triple Crown.

Lawson: It felt similar his mean went up 15 points against the Brewers. You commencement to look up and you're like, 'Oh wow, he's 1 constituent distant from the Triple Crown and you cognize to that constituent that he's having a historical play with the location tally record, potentially. A location tally grounds positive a Triple Crown, that's unheard of.

Cole: We're trying to marque definite that these moments are special, and we benignant of effort our champion to recognize the gravity of the situation. There's been a backmost and distant successful that aspect, reasoning astir the grandeur and the humanities value of it all. We're highly focused connected what we're trying to bash arsenic a club, trying to win, truthful there's ne'er a afloat accidental to truly beryllium determination and soak it each successful arsenic a fan.

Sept. 21: Home tally No. 60

Judge ties Babe Ruth's people from 1927, MLB's location tally grounds earlier Maris broke it successful 1961. Judge's 60th location tally doesn't look melodramatic successful the communicative of the game, lone cutting the Pittsburgh Pirates' pb to 8-5 successful the ninth inning. But 4 batters later, Giancarlo Stanton hits a walk-off expansive slam, giving the Bronx Bombers an improbable comeback victory.

Judge: I was kicking myself arsenic I was moving astir the bases, "Idiot, you should've done this earlier."

King: Whether we're winning oregon losing oregon successful a choky situation, you conscionable deliberation he's going to deed a location run.

LeMahieu: He's conscionable stayed successful that groove each year. As a kid, we each watched a mates of those guys interruption the record. [Mark] McGwire, [Sammy] Sosa, [Barry] Bonds. And however amusive was it arsenic fans to ticker that. We each cognize he's susceptible of it. So conscionable to ticker it unfold, it's not astatine each surprising.

Nestor Cortes, Yankees pitcher: He's the aforesaid feline always. You can't adjacent announcement that he's astir to deed his 61st homer, wrong the clubhouse and down the scenes. He's the aforesaid feline and I deliberation that's what makes him truthful special. No substance if he's connected a teardrop oregon if he's struggling, he's the aforesaid feline ever and we provender disconnected that energy, you know. No substance however bully oregon atrocious you're doing, we got to support it level for each different feline that's successful there. Aaron Judge has been the aforesaid feline since time one.

Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees outfielder: It's unreal. Amazing to watch, 60 similar thing happened.

Boone: It was 1 of those benignant of unreachable numbers.

Sept. 28: Home tally No. 61

Heading into the crippled successful Toronto, Judge had gone 7 games without hitting a location run. Of the erstwhile 7 times a subordinate deed 61 homers, 4 reached the people the crippled aft hitting 60 -- and nary took much than 3 games to scope the milestone.

Lawson: He gets 60, and everyone is trying to get a bully seat. Everyone is trying to presumption themselves for a bully view. You don't privation to miss this. I'm usually charting pitches and taking notes and I stop. It tin halt due to the fact that we privation to beryllium present.

Kay: You're surely prepared, but you don't publication due to the fact that you don't cognize what benignant of location tally helium is going to hit. The lone happening I had planned for the telephone was that I wanted to wage immoderate homage to Phil Rizzuto, erstwhile helium said that, "This could beryllium it."

With his mother, Patty, and Roger Maris Jr. successful attendance, and Hicks lasting connected archetypal base, Judge takes a 94.5 mph sinker from Tim Mayza and pulls the shot conscionable implicit the left-field obstruction for a 394-foot dinger. The assemblage successful Toronto gives him a lasting ovation arsenic helium circles the bases.

Cole: It felt similar we were the lone ones there. It was conscionable a truly bully infinitesimal of togetherness. We're each truthful arrogant of him and cognize however hard helium works. He wants to support it debased key, but boy, does helium merit it.

Hicks: It's conscionable amusive to beryllium a portion of history. You conscionable privation him to person that moment. You privation him to person that homer, you privation him to person everything. It felt similar everlastingly from 60 to 61.

Cole: Everybody was making a large woody astir him not hitting 61 for a week. Yeah, yeah. But his batting mean was .300 and he's walking 2 and a fractional times per game, which is absurd. That's a large week of shot close there. That subordinate should ne'er beryllium successful immoderate situation. He's not getting pitched to deed a location tally and he's inactive walking. He's connected base, he's starring off, helium was inactive doing his occupation astatine an highly precocious level.

Judge: Words can't picture it. That's 1 happening truthful peculiar astir the Yankee enactment is each the guys that came earlier america and benignant of paved the mode and played the crippled the close way, did things the close way, did a batch of large things successful this crippled and getting a accidental to beryllium mentioned with those guys present is, I can't adjacent picture it, it's an unthinkable honor, that's for sure. Getting a accidental to necktie Roger Maris, you imagination astir that benignant of stuff, it's unreal.

Boone: I got to judge it's close determination with immoderate of the precise abbreviated database of all-time seasons. I spell backmost to the discourse of the season, and the much I look astatine it and dive into it, it's got to beryllium an all-time large season.

Trevino: I was telling idiosyncratic the different day, "Do they marque movies astir this stuff?" There's idiosyncratic that's going to play america successful a movie. I watched "61*" and I mean, that's what's going connected close here, close now.

In a postgame quality conference, Maris Jr. takes the accidental to question the legitimacy of Bonds' single-season location tally grounds of 73, acceptable successful 2001.

Roger Maris Jr.: [Judge] should beryllium revered for being the existent single-season location tally champ. I mean, that's truly who helium is if helium hits 62, and I deliberation that's what needs to happen. I deliberation shot needs to look astatine the records and I deliberation shot should bash something.

For his part, Judge says helium thinks the grounds should basal arsenic is.

Judge: That's the record. I watched [Bonds] bash it. I stayed up precocious watching him bash it. That's the record. No 1 tin instrumentality that from him.

Oct. 4: Home tally No. 62

Six days aft 61, aft coming up abbreviated successful the Yankees' last homestand of the season, Judge hits his 62nd location tally successful Texas, a 391-foot blast implicit the left-field partition disconnected Rangers right-hander Jesus Tinoco connected a 88.4 mph slider close implicit the mediate of the plate.

Judge: It's a large relief. I deliberation everybody tin yet beryllium down successful their seats and ticker the ballgame.

Judge's accomplishments this twelvemonth unit the Yankees to instrumentality a measurement backmost and admit history.

Cole: When you deliberation astir the Yankees, oftentimes you are reminded of the legends that unrecorded successful Monument Park and the accomplishments that they've had and the types of players that they were and what they did for our organization. Even conscionable to necktie the record, fto unsocial interruption it, is simply a spot surreal. And evidently connected a nighttime similar tonight, it's conscionable like, "Woah."

Judge: I benignant of felt atrocious for my teammates due to the fact that each at-bat, I had teammates connected the apical measurement waiting for maine to bash this and I'd deed a treble oregon locomotion and I felt similar I was letting them down. Even the fans, the fans that packed Yankee Stadium oregon being present the past 2 games. ... There's decidedly a small unit successful determination but you effort to artifact that out.

Boone: The past of this crippled is 1 of its calling cards. The fig 61. I've known astir that fig for my full life. I deliberation 1 happening that makes our athletics a small much peculiar than the others is the past of it all. We bash past truly well. And this has been a twelvemonth and a play wherever we're successful the mediate of 1 of those magical humanities moments, and that's tied to a number.

Lawson: You locomotion astir Yankee Stadium and you spot photos of Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Maris, Jeter. The photos are successful achromatic and white. It's truly hard sometimes to judge that those are existent people, similar that really happened. It seems similar a fairytale. Like it's conscionable a movie like, "The "Sandlot" oregon "Field of Dreams" oregon "61*." They made a movie astir Roger Maris hitting 61. Judge is movie worthy. One day, we'll each beryllium agelong gone, and they volition inactive person pictures of Judge and they volition archer stories astir him that are legendary. My great, large grandkids volition cognize astir Aaron Judge.