Aaron Judge Still Seeking Home Run Record After Another Walk-Filled Night

Judge still seeking home run record after another walk-filled night originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been sitting on 60 home runs this season for over a week now. But he’s still impacting each game with his plate discipline.

Since tying Babe Ruth with his 60th home run on Sept. 20, Judge has gone 31 straight plate appearances without a dinger. That included five trips to the plate on Tuesday against the Toronto Blue Jays – four of which resulted in a free pass to first base.

So, Judge is still one home run away from tying Roger Maris’ American League record of 61 home runs. Everyone knows about his home runs this season, but let’s dig further into all the walks he’s taken in 2022.

Here’s a deep dive into Judge’s walks this season:

How many times has Aaron Judge walked in 2022?

The 30-year-old slugger leads the American League with 105 walks this season, with eight games still to play. Judge still isn’t at his career-high for walks in a season, which came in his rookie 2017 season when he walked 127 times.

The next closest AL player is Alex Bregman of the Houston Astros with 84 walks. Juan Soto, who was traded from the Washington Nationals to the San Diego Padres in August, leads all players with 131 walks in 2022.

Since hitting No. 60 last Tuesday, Judge is walking even more than usual. He has 12 free passes in his 31 plate appearances over that span, compared to 93 in his first 631 plate appearances this season.

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Aaron Judge OBP:

.548 during this 7-game HR “drought”
.496 in his 26 games hitting leadoff

Want to pitch around him? OK. This is the price you’ll pay for that.

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) September 28, 2022

How many times has Aaron Judge been intentionally walked in 2022?

Judge has been intentionally walked 18 times in 2022, including in the 10th inning of the Blue Jays’ win over the Yankees on Monday. That number is well above his previous career-high of 11, set in 2017. Judge was intentionally walked just twice in 2021.

Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez leads all players with 19 intentional walks this season, with Judge and the New York Mets’ Pete Alonso (16) close behind.

What is the record for walks in a season?

Judge may be close to the AL home run record, but his 105 walks are far from the benchmark.

Another Yankee, Babe Ruth, holds the AL walk record – 170 in 1923. Ruth’s record was topped three times by Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants – 177 (2001), 198 (2002) and 232 (2004).

What is the record for intentional walks in a season?

While Judge’s 18 intentional walks may seem like a lot, it is nowhere near the record.

Intentional walks weren’t tracked until 1955, so we’ll never truly know how many times Ruth was willingly sent to first. We do know Bonds’ numbers, though, and they are staggering. The home run king was intentionally walked 120 (!) times in 147 games in 2004. He is also second and third on the list with 68 in 2002 and 61 in 2003.

When will Aaron Judge hit his next home run?

The Yankees will conclude their three-game series in Toronto on Wednesday at 7:07 p.m. ET. Mitch White is scheduled to start for the Blue Jays, though it’s unknown if Judge will be in the lineup after the Yankees clinched the AL East crown on Tuesday.

After Toronto, the Yankees will head home for a three-game set with the Baltimore Orioles before finishing with a four-game series against the Texas Rangers in the Lone Star State.