Last season, the New York Yankees’ slugger Aaron Judge hit 62 home runs and set the American League single-season record that had been in place since 1961. However, Judge’s own record might only last one season, with the Los Angeles Angels’ two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani being on pace to potentially break it.
When asked about the possibility of Ohtani breaking his record, Judge made it clear that he wouldn’t be mad if that happened. He even called it “exciting.”
“Records are meant to be broken,” Judge told reporters on Wednesday. “It would be exciting for the game if he went out there and got 63-plus. So, we’ll see what happens.”
Judge went on to praise Ohtani’s talent but said that the Japanese star would require great mental strength to achieve the feat.
“He can hit 100 home runs, 80 home runs. He’s got that type of talent, just like so many other guys in this league,” he added. “But it’s moments like that, it’s about just mentally being able to block out the noise or lack of noise in those moments.”
Ohtani hit 35 homers in 94 games, including 15 home runs in June alone. His current pace indicates that he will finish the season with 60 home runs, although that could quickly change if he gets hot again.
