Going, Going, Gone!

“Bang! Judge 62!”

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made American League history in 2022 with the most home runs hit in one season. The most home runs hit in one season throughout Major League Baseball history is held by Barry Bonds, who hit 73 home runs in the National League while playing for the San Francisco Giants.

A player has hit 60+ home runs in one season only nine times. In addition to Judge and Bonds, the players were: Mark McGwire twice (70, 65), Sammy Sosa three times (66, 64, 63), Roger Maris (61), and Babe Ruth (60).

Judge is not the only player who made history this season. Albert Pujols ended his 22nd season with 703 career home runs. Bonds also owns the career record for home runs with 762. Only four players have ever hit 700+ home runs: Bonds, Pujols, Henry Aaron (755), and Babe Ruth (714). Pujols joined an exclusive club of power hitters.

Home runs were flying out of the park in this year’s MLB Home Run Derby as well. Rookie Julio Rodriguez hit the most: 81 bombs total. He hit 32 in the first round, 31 in the second, and 18 in the finals. However, Juan Soto hit 19 home runs in the finals to edge Rodriguez and win the 2022 event.

Soto knocked out Jose Ramirez in the first round, beating him 18-17. He then edged Pujols, 16-15, in the second round, before knocking off Rodriguez to capture the crown. Soto won one million dollars for his achievement.

In the 2022 MLB All-Star game, the American League beat the National League 3-2. The MVP for the game was New York Yankees outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, who hit a two-run home run.

In the 2022 World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies became the first team to hit five home runs in one game. After rolling through the National League playoffs with a 9-2 record, the Phillies hit five home runs in game three of the World Series to take a 2-1 series lead over the Houston Astros.

The Astros, however, rebounded with three straight wins, including a no-hitter in one game, to capture the 2022 World Series title. It was just the second time in World Series history that a pitcher threw a no-hitter.

Baseball is a hard sport to play. Getting perfect contact on a 90+ mile-per-hour fastball and a 70+ mile-per-hour curveball is difficult. Judge hitting 62 home runs to break Maris’s American League record, and Pujols joining Bonds, Aaron, and Ruth in the 700 club, are both impressive accomplishments that will make the 2022 baseball season one to remember.