Outside The Confines: Here comes the Judge

It was another big night in baseball for its biggest slugger.

• Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge hit home runs number 56 and 57 last night in Boston. He is now only five home runs away from breaking Roger Maris’ American League home run record of 61. Ladies and gentleman, he’s also a free agent after this year.
• Tom Verducci has a behind-the-scenes look at Judge’s historic season in the “shimmer.”
• David Schoenfield compares Judge’s 2022 season to some of the all-time great seasons. (ESPN+ sub. req.)
• John Tomase argues for the Red Sox to sign Judge as a free agent this winter.
• After hitting home run number 57, Judge gave a fan a high-five on the way to the dugout. She was star-struck.
• Matt Snyder explains that in the “real world,” the NL/AL record for home runs in a season is 73, and that Judge won’t be the “real” record holder if he hits number 62. He will be the real AL home run king, and that’s reason enough to celebrate.
• Jon Paul Morosi notes that Judge isn’t the only home run hitter chasing a record. Tokyo Yakult Swallows 22-year-old slugger Munetaka Murakami has hit his 55th home run this year, tying the record for most home runs in a season by a Japanese-born player, Sadaharu Oh’s 55 in 1964. (The overall NPB-record is 60 by Wladimir Balentien in 2013. By the way, Murakami is coming to MLB, but not anytime soon. So you’ll have to catch him in the World Baseball Classic this spring and then wait.
• The Dodgers clinched the NL West title last night, their ninth in ten seasons.
• BIll Shaikin says that the Dodgers and their fans should never take the accomplishment of winning a division title for granted. It’s still a feat to be celebrated.
• Twins starter Joe Ryan threw seven no-hit innings last night. The no-hitter was broken up in the ninth inning off of reliever Jovani Moran.
• Astros pitcher Framber Valdez threw his 24th-consecutive quality start, tying Jacob deGrom’s 2018 single-season record.
• Michael Baumann looks at the rules changes for 2023 and he explains why all of them are good for the game.
• Hannah Keyser argues that the game needed to change.
• Reds first baseman Joey Votto talks with Jayson Stark about the rules changes and Votto thinks they will be good for the game. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Will Leitch has 14 stars who could make the playoffs for the first time in 2023.
• Jesse Rogers explains why left-handed hitting is so important in the postseason and why that could be a big problem for the Yankees.
• The White Sox have been winning since manager Tony La Russa took a leave of absence and interim manager Miguel Cairo took over. Bob Nightengale asks: What does this mean for La Russa’s future with the team?
• Speaking of managers, both Guardians manager Terry Francona and Angels manager Phil Nevin were ejected by home plate umpire Ron Kulpa without a pitch being thrown in-between.
• Michael Baumann examines whether Atlanta should be looking to replace closer Kenley Jansen.
• Kiley McDaniel wants you to appreciate Pirates rookie shortstop Oneil Cruz, the most unique player in MLB. (ESPN+ sub. req.) Also the most fun.
• Jay Jaffe says the rookie season for Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman has been a “smashing” success.
• Jen McCaffery notes that the Red Sox season was derailed by injuries and examines whether it was just bad luck or is Boston doing something wrong? (The Athletic sub. req.)
• Andrew Simon has 17 “amazing” facts about Cardinals Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina.
• Ben Clemens examines the changes that Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker made that has turned him into a star at age 31.
• Randy Shaver catches up with the 1987 World Series Champions Twins on the 35th anniversary of their title.
• Nationals pitcher Hunter Harvey couldn’t help but laugh when his good friend and former roommate Ryan Mountcastle hit a home run off of him in their first meeting as opponents.
• Alec Lewis has the oral history of Billy “Country Breakfast” Butler and his time with the Royals. (The Athletic sub. req.)
• And finally, Brewers slugger Rowdy Tellez shared a moment with two young fans who lost their mother to cancer. Tellez’s mother died of cancer as well, and Tellez signed a bat for each of them that said “She’ll always be with you.”

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster.