The baseball world remains intently focused on the Yankees’ Aaron Judge and the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols as they make simultaneous pursuits of history.
As anticipation continues to mount, here’s everything you need to know.
The Yankees (7:05 p.m. ET vs. the Red Sox) and the Cardinals (10:10 p.m. ET at the Dodgers) are both part of this week’s Friday Night Baseball doubleheader on Apple TV+. Friday Night Baseball is currently free and does not require a purchase or subscription. Fans can access Friday Night Baseball games on Apple TV+ in the following ways:
Judge: The Yankees’ matchup against the Red Sox (1:05 p.m. ET) will air on the YES Network and on MLB Network (out of market only) and MLB.TV (out of market only). MLB.TV is available for the rest of the regular season for $29.99.
Pujols: You can watch Cardinals-Dodgers (9:10 p.m. ET) on Bally Sports Midwest or MLB.TV (out of market only).
Judge: ESPN will have live national coverage of the Yankees’ series finale against the Red Sox (7:08 p.m. ET).
Pujols: The Cardinals’ series finale against the Dodgers will air on Bally Sports Midwest (4:10 p.m. ET). You can also watch on MLB.TV (out of market only).
Yankees (13 games remaining)
Friday-Sunday: vs. Red Sox
Monday-Wednesday: at Blue Jays
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: vs. Orioles
Oct. 3-Oct. 5: at Rangers
Cardinals (11 games remaining)
Friday-Sunday: at Dodgers
Tuesday-Wednesday: at Brewers
Sept. 30-Oct. 2: vs. Pirates
Oct. 3-Oct. 5: at Pirates
Judge: With 60 homers through 149 team games, Judge has averaged one home run every 2.5 team games this season. If he keeps up that pace, he would finish with 65 homers, the most anyone has hit in a season since Barry Bonds had an MLB-record 73 in 2001. It would be the fifth 65-plus homer season in MLB history. There have been nine with at least 60.
Pujols: The 42-year-old has hit one homer every 7.9 team games in 2022, a pace that would leave him shy of 700 if it continues. That said, he has gone deep 12 times in 42 team games since Aug. 10, a rate of one homer every 3.5 team games.
Most HR in a season, MLB history:
2001 Barry Bonds: 73
1998 Mark McGwire: 70
1998 Sammy Sosa: 66
1999 Mark McGwire: 65
2001 Sammy Sosa: 64
1999 Sammy Sosa: 63
1961 Roger Maris: 61
2022 Aaron Judge: 60
1927 Babe Ruth: 60
Most career HR, MLB history:
Barry Bonds: 762
Hank Aaron: 755
Babe Ruth: 714
Albert Pujols: 698
Alex Rodriguez: 696
Judge has sizable leads in the home run and RBI departments, but he’s in a close race for the AL batting title. Here’s where he stands in each category (through Wednesday):
AL home run leaders:
1. Aaron Judge: 60
2. Yordan Alvarez: 37
3. Mike Trout: 36
AL RBI leaders:
1. Aaron Judge: 128
2. José Ramírez: 117
3. Kyle Tucker: 102
AL batting average leaders:
1. Aaron Judge: .316
2. Xander Bogaerts: .314
3. Luis Arraez: .313