Aaron Judge set the MLB rookie record in 2017 with 52 home runs, a feat topped just two years later when Pete Alonso hit 53 in 2019. Judge won Rookie of the Year in '17, Alonso did it in '19. Judge also won the Home Run Derby as a rook, a feat Alonso topped by doing it in '19 and then defending in 2021.
Judge won the home run title with an AL-record 62 last year, and based off the way these two New York superstars have paralleled, history says Alonso hitting 60-plus bombs might be a good bet…and on Monday's Tiki & Tierney Show, Tiki and Sal Licata (in for BT) wondered if Alonso's career isn't a coincidence – is he motivated by Aaron Judge, and the massive contract he just got?
"He has been the consistent positive for this Mets team, and he is in that spot right now where clearly, he wants to be the man," Tiki said. "And I bring up Aaron Judge for a reason because it's like Pete Alonso is chasing Aaron Judge, and if he gets to the point where he can do all the little things that Aaron Judge does…I'm not saying he's gonna overtake Aaron Judge, but he might get damn close. Pete is fun to watch."
"I don't think there's any question that what Judge did a year ago has lit a fire under Alonso," Sal responded. "After Alonso won his second home run derby, he was saying how he believes the best power hitter in the game, the best home run hitter…and then Judge goes out there and hits 62."
Tiki loves the back and forth between them performance-wise, and Sal things the best is yet to come, perhaps.
"I think Alonso is a man on a mission; is he going to hit 60? Who knows, a lot has to happen for that to take place, but I believe Alonso can do it," Sal said. "He's overcome a lot in his career going against the odds, and I definitely think Judge's big year last year kind of gave him that little, 'oh yeah?'"
It's tit for tat on the field, but the best thing about it, in Tiki's mind, is you hear nothing about a sibling rivalry off the field.
"There's no rhetorical back and forth – I don't know if they have one – but there's no 'well, Judge did this and, you know, I can do that' type of thing," Tiki said. "I would assume it's just a respect and, from afar, a challenge."
Perhaps that tit for tat goes defensively, too, where Alonso has improved greatly as a first baseman to maybe match the stellar defensive outfielder that Judge is?
"One thing that we always said was as good of a hitter as Aaron Judge is, he's a hell of a right fielder, and now that he's playing center field, he's great wherever you put him," Tiki said. "The one knock on Pete Alonso was that he was a good but not great first baseman, and now, all you've seen is him picking it and making great plays at first base. I don't wanna say he's challenged by Aaron Judge, but it feels like he's challenged by Aaron Judge…so anything you can do, I'm gonna do better."
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