Yankees' Aaron Judge has historic HR lead

Sep 2, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) at bat against the Tampa Bay Rays in the first inning at Tropicana Field. Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Yankees' Aaron Judge has historic home run lead over rest of MLB

By Dan Treacy | Last updated 9/6/22

Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is on pace to break Roger Maris' American League record of 61 home runs in a season, but he's also on a historic pace relative to the rest of the league.

The New York Post's Jon Heyman tweeted Monday that Judge's home run total of 54 is 50 percent higher than any other player in MLB. Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber sits second on the list with 36 home runs. Judge also has 22 more than home runs than anyone else in the American League, with the Angels' Shohei Ohtani sitting on 32.

With an 18-home run gap between Judge and Schwarber, the Yankees' slugger has a chance to do something that hasn't been done in 94 years.

According to journalist Sarah Langs, only one player has led the league by more than 18 home runs in a season: Babe Ruth. Ruth did it five times between 1920-1928, leading the league by 35 home runs in 1920 and tying his own record again in 1921.

Aaron Judge currently has an 18-HR lead over Kyle Schwarber for the @MLB lead

That would be the 6th-largest diff between Nos. 1 & 2 in HR for a season, behind only:

1921 Babe Ruth: +35
1920 Babe Ruth: +35
1926 Babe Ruth: +26
1928 Babe Ruth: +23
1924 Babe Ruth: +19
— Sarah Langs (@SlangsOnSports) September 6, 2022

Since baseball was integrated in 1947, the largest gap between the home run leader and second-place finisher is just 13. San Francisco's Willie Mays led Willie McCovey by 13 home runs in 1965, and that mark hasn't been matched in any season since. May finished that season with 52 homers to McCovey's 39.

With 27 games still on the calendar, Judge is already on the verge of history. His next home run will make him only the 14th player to hit 55 or more in a season. With six more home runs, Judge can become the first player since 2001 to hit 60 in a season.

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