Aaron Judge's quest for baseball immortality over the final few weeks of the 2022 MLB season is sure to draw in fans from across the globe.
Judge, who has hit 59 home runs this season for the New York Yankees, is two homers shy of tying the American League record for home runs in a single season set by fellow Bronx Bomber Roger Maris in 1961. Three long balls would give Judge the AL record, as well as the Yankee team record for home runs a single season.
The chase to 61 has compelled Maris' sons, Roger Jr. and Kevin, to attend Tuesday night's game at Yankee Stadium.
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More Maris family members will be arriving in the Bronx Wednesday night to see Judge go for history against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In addition to potentially setting both the league and club home run record, Judge is also on the precipice of challenging for the AL Triple Crown -- something that would only solidify his case for 2022 AL MVP over Los Angeles dual-threat Shohei Ohtani.
Judge and the Yankees' magic number is four with 16 games remaining in the regular season. Meanwhile, the Angels were eliminated from playoff contention for the eighth straight year on Monday night.
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Did Roger Maris ever win AL MVP?
While the Judge-Ohtani debate makes for a fun distraction for baseball fans, history remains on Judge's side in the MVP race -- winners tend to capture the award.
Look no further than Maris, who won back-to-back AL MVP awards in 1960 and 1961 while leading the Yankees to five straight World Series to begin the decade. Maris was a key contributor to a Yankee team that claimed the World Series title in 1961 and 1962.
Is Roger Maris in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
Despite being a seven-time MLB All-Star and having his No. 9 jersey retired by the Yankees in Monument Park, Maris is not a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Maris collected his third World Series ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1967. A year later, he retired from the game -- a .260 lifetime hitter who drove in 850 runs and smashed 275 career long-balls.
He won one Gold Glove Award in 1960 and led the American League in RBIs in both seasons he took home the MVP trophy -- including the famed 1961 season in which he set baseball's home run record with 61.
