With the way Aaron Judge has played at the plate this season, it is quite possible he will break Roger Maris' single-season American League home run record. While some fans may be hoping to watch him hit 62 home runs, there is at least one person who doesn't want to see that happen -- Maris' son.
"I don't know if anybody likes their record broken at the end of the day," Kevin Maris told TMZ Sports. "But it's nice to see him giving it a good run. Records are made to be broken at some point. If it happens to be this year, you've got to tip your hat to the guy."
The younger Maris added that he is wishing Judge "the best" -- which, given his previous comments, sounds more like he's wishing for the 30-year-old slugger to go on a cold streak.
Judge has 43 homers on the books heading into Monday.
Aaron Judge now on pace for an AL record 67 homers https://t.co/c5dW9N14yg
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 2, 2022
Maris' 61-homer season stood as a single-season record across the league until the early 2000s when Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa all eclipsed that mark. Kevin Maris added in his interview with TMZ that if Judge passes 61 that he will consider that the true record-breaker since the other three players were part of baseball's big steroids scandal.
Judge isn't scoffing at any records Bonds has set, however, and has said he has the home-run king's single-season mark in his sights.
Aaron Judge is on a hot streak and eyes to top Barry Bonds's HR record of 73. pic.twitter.com/5r5BrSEY8E
— Yankees Nation (@YankeesNationCP) August 7, 2022
Whether Judge breaks any home run records or not, he is certainly due for a big payday when the season is over. The slugger is set to be a free agent at the end of the 2022 campaign and previously rejected a seven-year deal to stay in New York.
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