The home run that broke Statcast. https://t.co/3elSKUWumr pic.twitter.com/4mpuxYQeNX
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 22, 2017
July 22 (UPI) -- Superlatives never cease regarding rookie Aaron Judge, but his home run Friday literally almost left Safeco Field.
The New York Yankees' rookie phenom obliterated a fifth inning pitch for his league-leading 31st home run of the season. Judge's Yankees rolled to a 5-1 win against the Seattle Mariners.
Judge stepped up to the plate with a runner on first and second in the inning. He worked himself into a 2-1 count before breaking loose on a 77-mph fourth offering from Mariners righty Andrew Moore.
The mammoth shot sailed to left field, with the outfielders barely moving. Judge's dinger lander in the last row of the upper deck, feet away from clearing the final concrete obstacle of Safeco Field. The long ball was measured with a true distance of 437 feet, according to ESPN's home run tracker. The ball traveled 115.6 mph off of Judge's bat, faster than any of the other home runs hit Friday. Judge was 1-for-2 with four RBI, a walk and a strikeout in the victory.
"Tonight's ballgame was about a couple big hits that they got and we didn't," Mariners manager Scott Servais told MLB.com. "Andrew Moore obviously made the mistake to Judge and Judge is having a phenomenal season and is a very talented young guy. Bad pitch in a bad spot and a bad result, and that got us behind the eight-ball a little there."
Aaron Judge on whether he'll watch highlights of his mammoth HR: "I saw it live, so I'm good." #YANKSonYES pic.twitter.com/MLJpi0fp9E
— YES Network (@YESNetwork) July 22, 2017
Before Friday's shot, Judge hadn't hit a home run for 10 consecutive games.