Aaron Judge hit his first home run on March 27, 2026, and bounced back quickly, going deep again the following day. He now sits at nine home runs on the season and is firmly in second place on the league’s home run leaderboard, currently led by Yordan Alvarez of the Houston Astros.
Alvarez holds a slim edge with 10 home runs and has been on a tear, homering in three consecutive games. That kind of streak is something Judge has not matched yet this season, though he has come close with back-to-back multi-game power stretches of his own. Alvarez also got off to a faster start overall, hitting three home runs back in March to open the year strong.
Judge’s most recent long ball came on April 19 against the Kansas City Royals, a game played as the Royals were dealing with internal tension involving Salvador Perez and manager Matt Quatraro. The New York Yankees took advantage of the situation, completing a sweep and improving to a 13-9 record.
No real threat at the top for Judge
Through just over 20 games in the 2026 MLB season, the home run leaderboard still looks wide open for Judge to take control. There is currently no clear, consistent challenger threatening his long-term push for the top spot.
One of last year’s biggest power names, Cal Raleigh, who finished with 60 home runs in 2025 while Judge ended up fourth, has not been nearly as productive this season and no longer looks like a serious threat.
Another name on the list is Judge’s teammate Ben Rice, who has impressed early with eight home runs, tied for third alongside Munetaka Murakami and Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals. Rice is also hitting .338, making him one of the early breakout hitters of the season.
Interestingly, Judge is not currently leading any major batting category beyond home runs this early in the year. His strongest position is second place in homers, while he is also tied for fourth in total bases alongside three other players.
