On Sunday, the New York Yankees clobbered the Baltimore Orioles by the score of 14-3, which means the Yanks would have outscored the New York Jets in five of their games from last season. Judge went 4-4 with two home runs including an absolute moon shot in the sixth inning that traveled 496-feet, the longest distance for a home run this season and longest since ESPN began tracking home runs in 2009. Baltimore’s Logan Verrett made the mistake of throwing Judge an 85-mph slider that had too much of the plate and the rookie slugger demolished the pitch to the tune of 118.6 mph off his bat.
To the bleachers … and BEYOND!@TheJudge44 goes 495 feet, 2017’s longest homer. https://t.co/IzqlxNcb3y pic.twitter.com/RvMvOJy5ip
— MLB (@MLB) June 11, 2017
495 feet for Aaron Judge. My goodness. pic.twitter.com/fIUAGGE5S6
— Bryan Hoch ⚾️ (@BryanHoch) June 11, 2017
At 496 feet, Judge’s astounding blast was hit the longest distance a home run has traveled since ESPN began tracking home runs in 2009 and becomes only the third player to smash a ball over 490 feet in that time.
PLAYER HR DISTANCE
Aaron Judge 496 feet
Wladimir Balentien 495 feet
Giancarlo Stanton 495 feet
Giancarlo Stanton 494 feet
Giancarlo Stanton 490 feet
Aaron Judge's HR Sunday was calculated at 496 feet, the longest HR since ESPN began tracking in 2009 pic.twitter.com/IWjfB3AuTq
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) June 11, 2017
Since Statcast began keeping records back in 2006, they put Judge’s bomb behind Giancarlo Stanton’s 504-foot home run on August 6, 2016, but that was in the thin air of Coors Field.
Here’s dinger #2 on the day, a laser shot to right center field, giving Judge 21 homers on the year, the most in the MLB. He is the first Yankees player 25-years-old or younger to hit 20 home runs before the All-Star break since Roger Maris in 1960.
.@TheJudge44 is so fair, so even-handed, he decided the fans in right field were also entitled to a homer. https://t.co/2T5Td1aHef pic.twitter.com/u4Egn6qhYF
— MLB (@MLB) June 11, 2017
“He hit a line drive to right field. It was just a line drive,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “Most guys, they’re hoping it gets in the gap. It just went out. I mean his power is incredible.”
At the age of 25 years and 46 days, Judge is the youngest Yankees player to go 4-for-4 or better with two or more home runs since Mickey Mantle on May 18, 1956 (24, 211 days).
The day before his historic home run, Judge hit another legendary bomb. He set a Statcast-era record with a solo home run that left his bat at 121.1 mph. The laser-shot traveled 382 feet, with a launch angle of 25 degrees. Judge is the only player this season to drill any balls over 119 MPH.
https://twitter.com/statcast/status/873938377489383424
Judge leads the American League in home runs, RBIs (47), batting average (.344), total bases (150), and WAR (4.1). That’s good enough for the coveted Triple Crown right now. All rise.
Judge celebrated his monumental game with fellow slugger Matt Holliday by wearing shirts inspired by the movie “The Sandlot.” The “Great Hambino” shirts were sent to them in the mail.
Aaron Judge's #SundayFunday:
⚾ 1B
⚾ 2B
⚾ 495-ft HR
⚾ 402-ft HR
⚾ Hit @Yankees 100th HR of the seasonHis 21 HRs leads @MLB.#YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/P5yZ0li6mp
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) June 11, 2017
[MLB]