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Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge Just Surpassed an Iconic Former New York Yankees Captain by Achieving a Major Milestone

Published 04/10/2023, 7:30 AM EDT

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New York Yankees are going strong this season. With their first three series wins in the bag, fans have high expectations from the Pinstripes this season. A major part of these victories is, as usual, Aaron Judge. With powerful hitting, the newest franchise captain is seemingly right back where he ended in 2022. He has already hit four homers this season and led the Bronx Bombers to a 5-3 win against the Baltimore Orioles last night.

All-Rise has proved time and again why he’s a valuable player for the Yankees with consistently good play for the most part. After a tumultuous few months of Judge’s free agency and his future up in the air last year, fans breathed a sigh of relief when Judge signed a massive contract. Not to mention the captaincy. The 30-year-old will be in pinstripes for a long while yet and he has some big shoes to fill as a leader. But with a recent move, the outfielder is clearly ready to take on past captains’ records.

Aaron Judge just surpassed a major Don Mattingly record

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The O’s vs Yankees game was exciting for many reasons, and one of them was Judge’s home runs. After breaking the AL single-season home run record in 2022, expectations for the captain are at an all-time high. And although the 2023 season is still young, Judge has already outperformed a legendary Yankees captain.

 

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The news was announced by an Instagram account that covers the Yankees’ history in the league with the caption, “Aaron Judge has passed Don Mattingly on the Yankees all-time homer list!”

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Mattingly is undoubtedly an iconic Yankee player and is fondly remembered by fans even today. When he retired, his career home runs were listed at 222, the 11th highest in franchise history. But Judge, at only 30 years old and in his 8th season with the Bronx Bombers, has already hit 223. Mattingly now rests at number 12 while Judge holds the number 11 position. What a way to start the season!

The Yankees made history against the Baltimore Orioles

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The Pinstripes are not among the top teams for nothing. They’ve established a reputation with some solid players over the decades. The three-game series against the Baltimore team was no less historic. For the third time in 20 years, the Yankees won their first three series.

It was a thrilling game to watch as not only Judge but Franchy Cordero, as well as Nestor Cortes Jr., came up with stellar performances. Cordero is proving his worth with the team as he strengthened the bottom of the lineup with a two-run homer to right field at Camden Yards. Nasty Nestor was at it against the O’s as usual, giving fans a flashback to his amazing display from last season.

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WATCH THIS STORY – Top 5 Most Electrifying Home Runs By Aaron Judge 

The Yankees will now start their next series against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday.

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Written by:

Arunima Bhanot

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Arunima Bhanot is an MLB writer at EssentiallySports. Her tryst with MLB was accidental, but what followed was nothing short of a pursuit of excellence. Arunima's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks on multiple occasions, highlighting her exceptional attention to detail and insightful coverage.
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Edited by:

Abhishek Kumar