Aaron Judge launched a 456-foot two-run home run in his first at-bat of the game against the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium on Monday. The blast off starter Yusei Kikuchi marked Judge's fifth homer of the season and the hardest-hit in MLB so far. It came after the Yankees endured a fifth straight loss, including a sweep by the Tampa Bay Rays.
The New York Yankees entered their home game following a 5-4 loss to the Rays on Sunday, their first sweep by Tampa Bay since April 2021. Aaron Judge had urged the lineup to simplify after the skid, noting they were pressing into bad counts and situations. Judge backed his words immediately, crushing a hanging 2-0 changeup from Kikuchi with an exit velocity of 116.2 mph into the left-field bleachers. Statcast measured the drive at 456 feet, the fourth-longest homer in the majors this year. Leadoff hitter Paul Goldschmidt had set the table by lining a 1-2 fastball into the left-center gap. Judge now owns 28 home runs of 455 feet or more since Statcast began tracking in 2015, including playoffs, trailing only teammate Giancarlo Stanton's 30.
