Aaron Judge Briefly Leads American League in Triple Crown Race
New York Yankees star rookie Aaron Judge entered Monday evening leading MLB in home runs (21), batting average (.344) and RBI (47).
It marked the first time since 1920 that a rookie has led his league in all three Triple Crown categories in June or later, per the Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com). Nelson Cruz proceeded to collect four RBI during Monday's action to retake the lead for RBI (50), sitting one ahead of Judge after he homered and drove in two of his own on the night.
Judge's 22 bombs so far this season already place him in a tie for 100th for rookie season homers on the all-time list, per Baseball Reference. While it seems unlikely he will surpass Mark McGwire's 49 rookie long shots, Judge has a legitimate chance of passing Hall of Famer Frank Robinson (38 home runs) for second on the list.
The towering 25-year-old outfielder has played a major role in the Yankees' early-season success in 2017. New York ranks first in the AL East by four games over the team rival Boston Red Sox prior to Tuesday's action.
The Yankees are riding a six-game winning streak heading into the second game of a three-game set against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. CC Sabathia will toe the rubber for the Yankees as they look to extend it to seven, while JC Ramirez will take the bump for the Angels.
