#AaronJudge62
Aaron Judge broke the American League single-season home run record on October 4, 2022, hitting his 62nd home run and surpassing Roger Maris’s 61-year-old mark.
The Chase
Judge, the New York Yankees’ 6’7” slugger, entered 2022 in a contract year. He dominated all season, chasing Maris’s 61 homers (set in 1961) while batting .311 with an OPS over 1.100.
As Judge approached 61, media frenzy intensified. Would he break the “clean” AL record (Maris’s mark, achieved without steroids—unlike Barry Bonds’ 73 in the National League)?
On September 28, Judge tied Maris with HR #61. Seven days later, on October 4 at Globe Life Field in Texas, he launched #62 off Jesús Tinoco—a 391-foot solo shot to left-center.
Cultural Impact
The home run ball became a saga. A fan (Cory Youmans) caught it; speculation swirled about its value ($2-4 million). Youmans eventually sold it at auction for $1.5 million in December 2022.
Judge’s chase captivated baseball fans in a season marred by labor disputes and declining viewership. He became the face of baseball’s resurgence.
MVP & Contract
Judge won the 2022 AL MVP unanimously. In December, he re-signed with the Yankees on a 9-year, $360 million deal—the largest contract for a position player at the time.
His season stats: .311 AVG, 62 HR, 131 RBI, 1.111 OPS—one of the greatest offensive seasons in modern baseball.
Asterisks
Some fans argue Bonds’ 73 (2001) remains the “real” record, steroid use notwithstanding. Others consider Judge’s 62 the legitimate single-season mark for clean players.
Regardless, Judge’s accomplishment was historic—only the sixth player to hit 60+ homers in a season.