Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees’ star slugger, continues to astonish the baseball world with his power, drawing parallels to the legendary Mark McGwire’s tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals. This season, Judge has equaled a notable record set by McGwire back in 2000.
In those memorable years with the Cardinals, McGwire was a force at the plate, launching a staggering 135 home runs across the 1998 and 1999 seasons. However, it’s his 2000 performance that Judge has now paralleled. McGwire hit 32 blasts that year before injuries sidelined him after 89 games. Judge matched that intensity with his barrage of first-inning homers this season, notably crushing his 11th in Cincinnati on Monday night. This feat ties him with McGwire for the most first-inning home runs through the first 78 games of any season, with a nod to Katie Sharp from Sports-Reference for highlighting this remarkable achievement.
But Judge’s power doesn’t stop there. In 2024, he also equaled Alex Rodriguez’s high mark of 18 first-inning home runs within a single season—a record first set by Rodriguez in 2001 after narrowly surpassing McGwire’s 17 from 1999. When it comes to career first-inning homers, McGwire’s impressive 98 rank him ninth all-time. Judge, currently holding 76 career first-inning homers, sits at 24th, while Albert Pujols leads the pack with 154.
Judge’s recent homer also propels him into seventh place for the most home runs in the first 10 seasons of an MLB career, totaling 343 round-trippers. Although he still trails Pujols, who tops the list with 408 homers in the same timeframe, Judge’s upward trajectory offers plenty of excitement for fans.
As the Yankees head to St. Louis for an August showdown, fans and analysts alike will be keenly observing Judge’s pursuit of history, anticipating more fireworks in a season already brimming with record-breaking potential.
