It’s already been almost a week since Aaron Judge hit number 61 to tie Roger Maris for the American League home run record.
After going eight games without a home run, Judge connected for his 61st of the season off Blue Jays reliever Tim Mayza in the top of the seventh inning for the record-tying go-ahead two-run homer at the old Sky Dome in Toronto.
At 30, Judge has had a season for the ages. In a contract year after wisely turning down the leaked $213 million offer from the Yankees, the consensus AL MVP has put together an all-time year that will be remembered.
Although he’s been unable to pass Maris for 62 with three games remaining, it’s hard to get past the number 61 in his baseball statistics on baseball-reference.com. There’s a wow factor involved. That he’s hitting .311 with 61 home runs and 130 RBI with a 1.116 OPS and mind-boggling 10.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), speaks to how special he’s been.
Without the brilliant performance by Judge, where would the Yankees be? Even though they recovered to put away the AL East by wrapping it up in Toronto, they nearly squandered a 15.5 game lead. However, Judge refused to let them blow it. He also finally got help from a resurgent Gleyber Torres, who came on strong in September after having a miserable July and August.
Since they started winning again, the Yankees have gotten key contributions from Anthony Rizzo, Harrison Bader, Kyle Higashioka, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and rookie Osvaldo Cabrera. Even Aaron Hicks came up with some big hits down the stretch. If it’s a choice between the veteran who’s no longer a lock at the plate or in the field and the very reliable Cabrera, Aaron Boone must go with the more versatile rookie who hasn’t looked out of place. He plays with confidence in the field and at the plate.
Would 100 wins be possible without Judge? We know the answer. Especially in another injury riddled year for Giancarlo Stanton. He really struggled after he returned. Most recently, Stanton has delivered a couple of big blows including a walk-off grand slam in a memorable home win after Judge tied Babe Ruth with his 60th home run. He hit number 30 in a 3-1 win over the Rangers in Texas on Monday night.
A game that saw Luis Severino no-hit the Rangers for seven innings. He only allowed one base runner with a walk while fanning seven. He left after seven having thrown 93 pitches including 66 for strikes. An outstanding performance for Sevy. Had it been a different circumstance, Boone leaves him in for the eighth. He’s only been back for three weeks. So, thinking big picture makes sense.
While the Yankees are getting more from a number of players, they still don’t have a closer. With Clay Holmes out for the remainder of the season with his status for the postseason up in the air, it’s anyone’s guess who Boone will use for the ninth inning to close out the big games starting next week in the ALDS.
Boone has leaned on a mixture of relievers he trusts. They include long man Clarke Schmidt, Ron Marinaccio, Lou Trivino, Scott Effross, Jonathan Loaisiga, Lucas Luetge and Wandy Peralta. If they get Peralta back for the playoffs, maybe the erratic Aroldis Chapman is left off the postseason roster. He no longer can be trusted due to command issues. He will not be back next year.
Boone has done a good job mixing and matching. Somehow, it’s worked. Will not having a defined closer hurt the Yankees’ chances? Or is it really about whether Gerrit Cole can deliver in October. The anointed “ace” in name has been prone to the bad inning where he falls apart. How much faith do Yankee fans have in the $324 million man?
Nestor Cortes has been better. He finished with 11 strikeouts in his final start to wind up 12-4 with a 2.44 earned run average (ERA). Many fans believe he should get the ball for Game One. That’s how consistent he’s been. Even Jameson Taillon finished strong. He will likely be the fourth starter in the playoff rotation.
We know they’ll never do it. So, it’s up to Cole to prove he can still be the ace. He gets paid a lot of money. We know the stuff is there. Will his mental state allow him to dominate when the team needs it most? The likely rotation is Cole, Cortes, Severino and Taillon with Domingo German going to the bullpen.
As far as Judge’s chase for number 62 goes, if it happens great. If not, he already made significant history by tying Ruth with 60 in less than 154 games. He tied Maris 61 years later with number 61 in game 155. It took Maris until game 163 in ’61. The memorable home run came against Boston at the original Yankee Stadium on Oct. 1, 1961. We’ve all heard Phil Rizzuto’s call.
“This could be it. Holy cow! He did it!”
There was no one like the Scooter. I still miss him calling games on the old WPIX Channel 11 with Bill White and Tom Seaver. Then eventually the very popular Bobby Murcer. Those were fun times growing up. It’s too bad they no longer have Yankee games on what’s now the current CW. At least the Mets are occasionally on there. Free TV. What a concept in today’s modernization of streaming with Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
When I think of how tough Judge has been pitched since he hit numbers 58 and 59 at Milwaukee, it’s amazing that he even reached 61. The attention on him has been insane. He says the right thing. He’s all about the team concept. Winning is all that matters to him. Even with his parents and Roger Maris, Jr watching, he has tried not to go out of the zone. That’s resulted in a lot of walks. The most in the AL.
At .311, he trails Luis Arraez by four points for the batting title. Of course, the Twins have rested Arraez the last two games with some phantom injury. It reminds me of Wade Boggs in ’86 when he sat out a doubleheader at Fenway Park against the Yankees. Don Mattingly had a big two games and actually got cheered by the appreciative Red Sox crowd. He came up short for the batting crown finishing at .352. Five points behind Boggs.
The Yankees play two later today. One at 2 PM and the second at 8 PM. Weather permitting. Judge will probably need at least four hits to put pressure on Arraez. That assumes he isn’t pitched around. He bats lead-off. Something I never thought I’d see. But he’s made it work. We’ll see if the Texas pitchers actually go after him.
Whatever happens today and tomorrow, Aaron Judge has been remarkable this season. All the more poetic it’s 61 years later that he’s tied Maris with 61 when he bested Ruth’s record in ’61. That’s the magic number. Will it include 62? We’ll see.
No matter what, the Yankees are going to the postseason. They have a bye into the ALDS. They’ll await the winner between the Rays and Indians. I refuse to call Cleveland by any other name. That’s who they are.
The other match-up looks like the Mariners and Blue Jays for the chance to play the AL best Astros. If that’s the setup, sign me up.
Let’s enjoy the final two days of a great regular season.
HITTING BACK 