MLB MVP front-runners at the midway point of the season
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Bob Nightengale breaks down the favorites to win the MLB MVP awards and the halfway points of the season.
USA TODAY
NEW YORK — A handful of Yankees alumni admitted that, while they were happy to see the return of Old-Timers’ Day to the Bronx, they were OK with not having the Old-Timers’ Game this year.
Given the exhibition Aaron Judge has put on over the past month, who could blame them for wanting to skip the exhibition game?
Judge gave two dozen old-timers and 44,081 fans another highlight-filled outing in Saturday’s 8-2 Yankee victory against the Royals, which sets up New York to go for a four-game sweep Sunday.
“He’s unbelievable,” said Tino Martinez, the Yanks’ former first baseman (1996-2001). “It’s amazing to watch what he’s doing.”
The latest chapter in Judge’s chase for the club’s single-season home run record featured a two-run shot off Kansas City starter Jonathan Heasley in the second inning. That gave him 42 for the year, 19 away from Roger Maris’ Yankee/American League standard of 61.
“I can’t imagine a person more equipped to go through something like that,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Judge’s pursuit.
The 30-year-old also became the second-fastest to reach 200 career home runs, doing so in his 671st MLB game. That slotted him between Ryan Howard (658 games) and Ralph Kiner (706).
“I’m excited to get that one out of the way, and plus, we got a win,” Judge said. “So, let’s keep it rolling.”
Other lists that the 6-foot-7 slugger joined:
- Most MLB home runs before August: 1. (tie) Mark McGwire, 45 in 1998 and Barry Bonds, 45 in 2001; 3. (tie) Sammy Sosa, 42 in 1998 and Judge.
- Yankees to hit nine homers in a nine-game span: Babe Ruth (1930), Joe DiMaggio (1937), Don Mattingly (1987), Judge.
Judge finished 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored, while his batting average climbed to .300 for the year (.329 for July). In the first three games of the Kansas City series, he homered four times, racked up nine RBI and reached base in 9-of-14 plate appearances (.643 on-base).
“It’s incredible. I know every night, everybody’s expecting a home run from him,” said starter Nestor Cortes Jr. “I mean, we are.”
Success all around
Martinez and several members of the 1998 Yankees who were on hand might not mind seeing Judge and his mates make a run at their single-season record for team wins (114), either.
“He’s been awesome to watch this season,” Martinez said, “and I’d love to see him win a World Series, more importantly.”
“Coming to the stadium, any park, anywhere this year, thinking that they can win every game they play – that’s the same we felt in 1998,” ex-center fielder (1991-2006) Bernie Williams told the YES Network.
As of Saturday’s final out, the 69-33 Yankees were 13 games up on Toronto in the AL East.
DJ LeMahieu hit his 10th home run of the season to lead off the bottom of the first, and Judge followed with a single before scoring on Gleyber Torres’ RBI double.
Cortes (9-3) stayed in a post All-Star groove, allowing two runs over five innings with five strikeouts. The lefty was lifted after 90 pitches, and Aroldis Chapman got things back on track for a game with a no-hit, two-strikeout sixth inning.
Two Kansas City errors in the fourth and one more in the sixth helped New York tack on against a Royals team that slumped to 39-62.
