Another Aaron Judge Milestone Homer Update

Sheesh. It’s been exactly one game since our last update on Aaron Judge’s pursuit of hitting 60, 61, and 62 home runs. At that point, Judge seemed more likely than not to eclipse Roger Maris‘ 61-homer mark, though only marginally. But after two home runs last night against the Red Sox, the pace is heating up again. Now, my simulation model thinks Judge is extremely likely to surpass Maris:
| Feat | Odds on 9/12 | Odds on 9/14 |
|---|---|---|
| 60+ Homers | 84.4% | 96.8% |
| 61+ Homers | 71.8% | 90.9% |
| 62+ Homers | 56.8% | 80.8% |
If that feels like a huge jump in odds to you, you’re in good company. If you think about it for a bit, though, it’s not so crazy. Judge has played 138 games this year and hit 57 homers. That’s a pace of less than half a home run per game, and still wildly impressive. Two in one game is always unlikely, though; it’s Judge’s 10th time doing it this year, for example. The finish line is getting close now; with 20 games to accrue five homers, one more barrage could put him over the top.
Accordingly, the series most likely to produce some milestones is moving around as well. If you’re a big fan of round numbers, head to New York. There’s an aggregate 45% chance he’ll hit 60 during the next Yankees homestand, and that’s assuming he gets a rest day in one of those six contests. There’s even a decent chance he hits number 60 before then, in the friendly home run confines of Milwaukee:
| Day | Opponent | Home/Away | Odds of Hitting 60th HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14 | Boston | Away | 0.3% |
| 9/16 | Milwaukee | Away | 2.9% |
| 9/17 | Milwaukee | Away | 6.6% |
| 9/18 | Milwaukee | Away | 9.3% |
| 9/20 | Pittsburgh | Home | 9.3% |
| 9/21 | Pittsburgh | Home | 9.5% |
| 9/22 | Boston | Home | 9.7% |
| 9/23 | Boston | Home | 8.9% |
| 9/24 | Boston | Home | 0% (rest day) |
| 9/25 | Boston | Home | 8.0% |
| 9/26 | Toronto | Away | 7.6% |
| 9/27 | Toronto | Away | 6.3% |
| 9/28 | Toronto | Away | 5.1% |
| 9/30 | Baltimore | Home | 3.6% |
| 10/1 | Baltimore | Home | 2.9% |
| 10/2 | Baltimore | Home | 2.3% |
| 10/3 | Texas | Away | 1.5% |
| 10/4 | Texas | Away | 1.2% |
| 10/4 (Doubleheader) | Texas | Away | 1.0% |
| 10/5 | Texas | Away | 0.8% |
If you want to see number 61, there’s a near-tie between two series: the Boston series from September 22-25 and the Toronto series from September 26-28:
| Day | Opponent | Home/Away | Odds of Hitting 61st HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14 | Boston | Away | 0.0% |
| 9/16 | Milwaukee | Away | 0.4% |
| 9/17 | Milwaukee | Away | 1.8% |
| 9/18 | Milwaukee | Away | 3.8% |
| 9/20 | Pittsburgh | Home | 5.1% |
| 9/21 | Pittsburgh | Home | 6.3% |
| 9/22 | Boston | Home | 7.7% |
| 9/23 | Boston | Home | 8.2% |
| 9/24 | Boston | Home | 0% (rest day) |
| 9/25 | Boston | Home | 8.3% |
| 9/26 | Toronto | Away | 9.0% |
| 9/27 | Toronto | Away | 8.3% |
| 9/28 | Toronto | Away | 7.4% |
| 9/30 | Baltimore | Home | 5.8% |
| 10/1 | Baltimore | Home | 5.0% |
| 10/2 | Baltimore | Home | 4.3% |
| 10/3 | Texas | Away | 3.0% |
| 10/4 | Texas | Away | 2.6% |
| 10/4 (Doubleheader) | Texas | Away | 2.2% |
| 10/5 | Texas | Away | 1.9% |
Again, these numbers are subject to fluctuations based on rest days and what happens in the next few games. If Judge hits another homer tonight, or goes on a tear in Milwaukee, everything shifts forward. If he briefly cools off, some later series stand a higher chance of seeing a milestone. That Toronto series appears to be in the sweet spot, though; it’s had the best odds of seeing milestone homers every time I’ve run this simulation.
Finally, if you want to see Judge become the first American League player to hit 62, you guessed it, it’s time to pack your bags and passport and head to Toronto:
| Day | Opponent | Home/Away | Odds of Hitting 62nd HR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/14 | Boston | Away | 0.0% |
| 9/16 | Milwaukee | Away | 0.0% |
| 9/17 | Milwaukee | Away | 0.3% |
| 9/18 | Milwaukee | Away | 1.1% |
| 9/20 | Pittsburgh | Home | 1.9% |
| 9/21 | Pittsburgh | Home | 3.0% |
| 9/22 | Boston | Home | 4.4% |
| 9/23 | Boston | Home | 5.5% |
| 9/24 | Boston | Home | 0% (rest day) |
| 9/25 | Boston | Home | 6.3% |
| 9/26 | Toronto | Away | 7.7% |
| 9/27 | Toronto | Away | 8.1% |
| 9/28 | Toronto | Away | 8.1% |
| 9/30 | Baltimore | Home | 6.9% |
| 10/1 | Baltimore | Home | 6.4% |
| 10/2 | Baltimore | Home | 5.9% |
| 10/3 | Texas | Away | 4.4% |
| 10/4 | Texas | Away | 4.0% |
| 10/4 (Doubleheader) | Texas | Away | 3.6% |
| 10/5 | Texas | Away | 3.1% |
The combination of just the right number of games before the series, a park that’s conducive to righty power, and a home-prone pitching staff continues to make the North the place to be for number 62. The Yankees’ subsequent series, at home against the Orioles, also looks like a pretty good bet. And reaching 62 is now more likely than it was a week ago, which means your odds of seeing something memorable are higher at basically any Yankees game you attend.
Finally, I added a line in the script just for fun. In 13% of my simulations, Judge hit at least 67 home runs, shattering the AL mark and getting within striking distance of the heady Barry Bonds/Mark McGwire peak. In 1.5%, he hit 70 or more. Those odds are so long that they’re hardly worth thinking about at the moment. A few more games like yesterday, though, and this milestone counter might become an entirely different kind of article.
Ben is a writer at FanGraphs. He can be found on Bluesky @benclemens.
Ben, thanks for continuing to update us on this! I am literally using them as you frame them–to figure out if I can get to see Judge on the right series.
Which number matters most to you to see? Wouldnt the Texas series be the most likely to see his last HR of the year?
Iād be most excited for 62. Definitely 62.
Sports writers covering the Maris/Mantle chase for 61 did not have the benefit of computer-driven regressions and internet research. This is not legitimate coverage. Do the right thing FanGraphs*
*LoL
I would love if it’s at home vs Boston next weekend after they’re eliminated from the division (elimination number is 4)
On the other side of the planet, Munetaka Murakami is tied with Sadaharu Oh for the Japanese single season home run record with 55! He might get to 60 as well, since there’s a couple of weeks left in the NPB season. It’s absolute bonkers that two of the top leagues in professional baseball will potentially see 60 home run seasons.
I thought Wladimir Balentin (spelling) finally broke his record a few years ago. Am I mistaken about that? I remember for years there was controversy over foreigners getting ready close.
You are correct, Balentin did it in 2013. So the actual record is 60, but the Japanese-born-only record is 55. Either way Murakami is having an incredible season, and it’s possible he could beat Balentin in a couple of weeks.
I gotcha. Thanks for the clarification, and I agree; approaching or tying a significant record is a season for the ages.
If he’s on 59 going into that 09/24 home game do you really think he sits? I’d be surprised if they don’t maximize the chance to hit the milestones at Yankee Stadium and push the rest day to the away series in Toronto.
The off days are guesses / estimates
I remember the choice being explained in the first installment, just saying that it seems worth revisiting that assignment now that it falls in the heart of the probability curve.
Can we get a petition or gofundme or something to get Judge in Colorado for the next 10 years?
This is a nice thing to follow. Suggestion: you could also display the percentages as a graph with date on the x-axis and probability on the y-axis. (i.e. the probability distribution). I think it would communicate it quicker than parsing numbers in a table.
Don’t think I can post an image, but here’s what that looks like. https://imgur.com/a/KuJw4FT
I stacked the three charts so that you also get a view of the cumulative odds and added a text callout on any game with over 5% probability since individual layers can become hard to follow in a stacked chart: