Aaron Judge hits 61st home run; ties Roger Maris for AL season record

Toronto Blue Jays play the New York Yankees

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New York Yankees designated hitter Aaron Judge (99) hits his 61st home run of the season in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays play at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada, Sept. 28, 2022. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)

NEW YORK - All rise! Slugger Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has tied the American League season home run record.

Judge hit his 61st home run of the season against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday evening, tying him with fellow Yankee great Roger Maris, who set the record in 1961. He hit a two-run blast in the top of the 7th inning, breaking a tie score. The 30-year-old slugger drove a full-count pitch from Tim Mayza over the left-field fence.

The outfielder and designated hitter has been having torrid season, putting up MVP numbers and leading the Yankees to an AL East title. But he had gone seven games without a home run — his longest drought this season was nine in mid-August.

Maris hit No. 61 for the Yankees on Oct. 1, 1961, against Boston Red Sox pitcher Tracy Stallard. His MLB record stood until 1998 when Mark McGwire broke the mark on his way to ending the season with 70 home runs for the St. Louis Cardinals. That same season, Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs hit 66.

McGwire hit 65 homers the following season. Sosa then notched 63 in 1999 and 64 in 2001. That year, Barry Bonds set a new Major League record of 73 home runs.

But McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds have all been tainted by the scandal of steroids. Years later, McGwire admitted to using banned substances but Sosa and Bonds have denied knowingly using performing-enhancing drugs.