Aaron Judge hits 55th home run, leads MLB in 2023

On September 13, 2023, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hit his 55th home run of the season against the Oakland Athletics at the Coliseum. This impressive feat places him three home runs ahead of Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who has 52 home runs, making Judge the current leader in Major League Baseball. Judge's home run came in the third inning off A's starter Joey Estes, traveling 407 feet at a speed of 110.9 mph. This home run marked Judge's second in as many days and his fourth for the month, following a 16-game stretch without a home run, the longest of his career. With this performance, Judge is hitting .322 and boasts a career-high 138 RBIs, along with an MLB-best OPS of 1.149. His consistent performance has positioned him as a strong candidate for the American League MVP award. Judge's connection to the Coliseum is personal; he grew up in Stockton, California, just a short drive away, and attended games there with his family. Interestingly, the Athletics had drafted him in the 31st round in 2010, but he opted to play college baseball at Fresno State instead. The Yankees selected him in the first round in 2013, leading to his current success. This game also holds significance as it is the last time the Yankees will play at the Coliseum, with the A's set to relocate to Sacramento next year. Judge previously set the American League single-season home run record with 62 in 2022, further solidifying his status as a premier player in the league.