However, they also wanted Aaron Judge to finally hit a home run in Coors Field. It was the only ballpark he had yet to go deep in during his career. Judge remedied that with a solo shot in Friday’s game, even though the Yankees walked away with a loss.

However, Judge wasn’t done there. In the top of the first inning in Saturday’s game, Judge hit a 405-foot home run off of Kyle Freeland. That deep ball upped Judge’s season total to 18, putting him back at the top of the home run race.

He, Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber, and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh have all been at the top of MLB in home runs throughout the season. Judge’s deep shot put him in the lead as he tries to lead the league in the statistic for back-to-back seasons.

If he were to pull it off, Judge would be the first player to do it since Joey Gallo did in 2017 and 2018. The Yankees’ captain has put himself squarely in the middle of the American League MVP conversation once again. He is also trying to join Ohtani as back-to-back league MVPs.

While Judge’s home run off of Freeland was impressive, New York is struggling in the series. His solo shot scored just the third Yankees run of the series. That number is extremely uncharacteristic for a team with one of the league’s best offenses.

Aaron Boone’s team has a long way to go, but they could get back to the World Series. After faltering against Ohtani and the Dodgers, the Yankees have more motivation than most other teams to redeem themselves.

If they are going to find their way back to the league’s biggest stage, the Yankees need their star to keep playing like an MVP. Judge has delivered so far, defining his own era of New York baseball. With the 2026 World Baseball Classic on the horizon and Judge serving as Team USA’s captain, only time will tell what kind of heights he will reach.