What does New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge have in store for an encore in 2023? After setting the American League home run record in 2022, the Yankees locked up Judge to a massive extension in the offseason. While it is hard to imagine Judge has another 60+ home run season in him this year, bettors are still confident he can cash in some MLB futures.
MLB Home Run Futures: Will Aaron Judge Lead the Way Again?
Per BetMGM, Aaron Judge (+550) is favored to lead the MLB in home runs in 2023. He is followed by Pete Alonso (+900), Kyle Schwarber (+1000), Yordan Alvarez (+1100), Mike Trout (+1100), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (+1200), Ronald Acuna Jr. (+1600), Shohei Ohtani (+1800) and Austin Riley (2000). Judge’s over/under home run total is set at 43.5.
According to a report from BetMGM analyst John Ewing, Judge currently leads the way with 12% of bets and 18% of money on him to finish the year as the home run king.
It comes as no surprise that Judge is garnering plenty of attention after his dominant MVP performance a season ago. The gigantic outfielder put up video game-like numbers in 2022, slashing .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBIs.
Schwarber (46 home runs) finished second to Judge in home runs in 2022. Trout and Alonso were tied for third with 40 apiece, but nobody really threatened Judge for the crown all season long
There was a lot of buzz surrounding Judge’s free agency this offseason. But despite the Giants showing heavy interest, Judge will remain in the Bronx for the long haul.
He was named the first Yankees captain since Derek Jeter shortly after signing his extension.
“It came to a decision we knew in our heart we belong in New York, we belong in this city,’’ Judge said of the decision to stay in New York, per the NY Post. “There’s a lot of unfinished business here in New York. I’m looking forward to finishing that business.”
Judge has accomplished nearly every personal accolade in the MLB but knows he still needs to win a championship to cement his legacy and have his name remembered among other Yankees greats.
Still, he is going to hit a lot of home runs as long as he stays on the field in 2023, and bettors are hoping he can once again finish the season as the league’s home run king.
Bettors should be sure to check out OddsShopper tools for the best MLB value all season long!
