20 July 2023 , 17:35
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Roger Maris' historic home run record was beaten by Aaron Judge last season, but the New York Yankees star wouldn't be upset if it got broken again inside 12 months.
Judge beat the American League record set by Maris in 1961, as his 62 regular season home runs capped off a stunning year for the MVP. But Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels is on course to beat that record already after he hit his 35th home run against Judge's Yankees on Monday.
The Angels won all three games in their recent series against the Yankees, as the New Yorkers continue to struggle without Judge. The 2022 MVP has been absent since June 3 with a toe injury, and his lack of presence has certainly been felt.
But Ohtani continues to be dominant and is without doubt the best player in the league at present. Judge's record is at risk despite it taking 61 years for Maris' total to be beaten, but the Yankees star isn't bothered.
"Records are meant to be broken. It's just a record," Judge said on Wednesday before the Yankees lost to the Angels for a third time. "It would be exciting for the game if he went out there and got 63-plus. So, we’ll see what happens.
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"It’s incredible. It’s fun to watch, I don’t like watching it in person, when he’s playing against us, doing what he’s doing. But it’s fun when you can turn on the TV and see that he’s throwing eight innings, striking out 10 and hitting two homers in a game.
"I’m excited what he’s done so far and looking forward to what else he does when we get out of town here." Ohtani's record so far may look appealing, but he's gaining momentum after hitting 15 home runs in June alone.
Ohtani is the leading candidate for the MVP award (Kyodo)"Physically, even like Shohei he can hit 100 home runs, 80 home runs. He’s got that type of talent just like so many other guys in this league," Judge added. "But it’s moments like that, it’s about just mentally being able to block out the noise or lack of noise in those moments."
The Yankees need Judge back too, as they're 15-22 without their main man. Their loss on Wednesday was their fourth-straight defeat, and manager Aaron Boone even admitted that right now they're not a good team
"We stink right now. We acknowledge that," Boone said. "We've got to be better. We all understand where we are at. We’re seeing some guys make progress and move the needle a little bit and get a little bit healthier, but we still got a ways to go."