Aaron Judge hit his 300th career home run on August 14, 2024, a three-run shot off Chad Kuhl in the eighth inning of a 10-2 New York Yankees win over the White Sox in Chicago. It came in his 955th game and 3,431st at-bat, the fewest of anyone ever, breaking Ralph Kiner's games record and Babe Ruth's at-bats record.
And the White Sox set it up for him. On purpose.
The Worst Team in Baseball Picks Its Poison
Some context on the opponent, because it matters. The 2024 White Sox were in the middle of a season that would set the modern big-league record for losses. They'd fired Pedro Grifol on August 8 after a 28-89 start and handed the job to interim manager Grady Sizemore. They'd eventually finish 41-121.
(They also beat the Yankees 12-2 two nights earlier, which is the kind of thing baseball does to keep you humble.)
Judge came into the series stuck on 299. He'd hit No. 299 off Texas lefty Andrew Chafin on August 11 at the Stadium, in an 8-7 win. Then he went two games in Chicago without one, while Juan Soto did Judge things instead: Soto's first career three-homer game on August 13, then another homer in the first inning of the finale. That's four in two games.
So Sizemore had a decision to make in the eighth. The Yankees were already up 6-2 after Anthony Volpe doubled, Oswaldo Cabrera singled in a run, and Alex Verdugo doubled in another. First base was open. Soto was the hottest hitter on the planet. Sizemore put him on.
"It's pick your poison," Sizemore said afterward. "I'm not trying to get to Judge. I got a base open."
I get the logic. I just don't think "walk the guy in front of the AL's single-season home run king" is a poison anybody should pick.
The 3-0 Swing
Judge doesn't usually swing 3-0. He's said as much, and the AP noted he hadn't homered on a 3-0 pitch since 2021. But Kuhl fell behind, and Judge had a grudge.
Kuhl threw a sinker up and in. Judge turned on it and sent it into the White Sox bullpen in left field. Statcast measured it at 361 feet, which is a chip shot by his standards (the man routinely hits them well past 400, and the record-setter was one of his shorter ones). Security grabbed the ball in the bullpen, so there wasn't even a fan negotiation to sit through.
"I was mad about the intentional walk, so that kind of fueled it," Judge said. "Usually 3-0, I'll take a pitch, see a pitch, kind of pass it on to the next guy. But in that situation, if they don't want to pitch to you, you got to come through."
That's about as close to trash talk as Judge gets. I loved it.
Austin Wells followed with a solo homer off Steven Wilson for the final 10-2 margin. The part I didn't know until later: Judge's big-league debut on August 13, 2016, featured back-to-back homers with Tyler Austin in their first at-bats. Eight years and a day later, No. 300 came back-to-back with another Austin. Baseball's a weird little sport.
How Fast Is 955 Games?
Fast enough that the old record wasn't close. Kiner, the Pirates slugger who owned the home run title in the late '40s, needed 1,087 games. Judge beat him by 132 -- most of a season.
The at-bats record was Babe Ruth's, at 3,831. Judge got there in 3,431, per the Elias Sports Bureau, a full 400 at-bats quicker than the Babe. Mark McGwire (3,837) and Kiner (3,883) were next in line.
Think about what's baked into that. Judge lost huge chunks of 2019 and 2023 to injuries, played only 28 games in the shortened 2020 season, and he still beat every slugger who ever lived to 300. That's not a hot streak. That's a career.
It was his MLB-leading 43rd of the year, and he wasn't close to done. He finished 2024 with 58 homers, 144 RBI, and a .322/.458/.701 line, then won a unanimous AL MVP in November. The following July he became the fastest to 350, too, in his 1,088th game. (Mark McGwire had that one at 1,280. Judge seems to enjoy taking these from people.)
The night itself will get lost a little, sandwiched between 62 and an October that went sideways. That's fine. The White Sox gave him a reason to be mad, and he made them pay for it in one swing. Of all the records he's collected, this might be the one I like best.
| Date / Site | August 14, 2024, Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago |
| Final Score | Yankees 10, White Sox 2 |
| The Homer | 3-run HR, 8th inning, 3-0 sinker off Chad Kuhl, 361 feet |
| Career Games at No. 300 | 955 (old record: Ralph Kiner, 1,087) |
| Career At-Bats at No. 300 | 3,431 (old record: Babe Ruth, 3,831) |
| Next Fastest by At-Bats | Mark McGwire 3,837, Ralph Kiner 3,883 |
| 2024 HR at the Time | 43 (MLB lead) |
| 2024 Final Line | .322/.458/.701, 58 HR, 144 RBI |
| White Sox Record After the Game | 29-93 (finished 41-121) |
Debut, Back-to-Back
Judge and Tyler Austin homer back-to-back in their first big-league at-bats against Tampa Bay at the Stadium.
No. 299
Judge homers off Texas lefty Andrew Chafin in the seventh inning of an 8-7 win at the Stadium. It's his 42nd of the season.
Soto's Three-Homer Night
Juan Soto hits three home runs in a 4-1 win in Chicago, the first three-homer game of his career. Judge stays at 299.
The Walk, Then No. 300
Chicago intentionally walks Soto in the eighth. Judge hits a 3-0 sinker from Chad Kuhl for a three-run homer, his 300th, in his 955th game. Austin Wells follows with a homer, and the Yankees win 10-2.
Unanimous MVP
Judge wins his second AL MVP with all 30 first-place votes after a 58-homer, 144-RBI season.
Fastest to 350, Too
Judge hits his 350th career homer in his 1,088th game, beating Mark McGwire's pace of 1,280 games.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Aaron Judge hit his 300th home run?
On August 14, 2024, against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago. He hit a three-run homer off Chad Kuhl in the eighth inning of a 10-2 Yankees win. It was his MLB-leading 43rd home run of the 2024 season.
How many games did it take Aaron Judge to hit 300 home runs?
955 games and 3,431 at-bats. Both are the fewest in MLB history. Ralph Kiner held the games record at 1,087, and Babe Ruth held the at-bats record at 3,831.
Who gave up Aaron Judge's 300th home run?
White Sox right-hander Chad Kuhl. Chicago had just intentionally walked Juan Soto to face Judge, and Judge hit a 3-0 sinker into the left-field bullpen. Judge said afterward that the walk "fueled" him.
Did Aaron Judge break Ralph Kiner's record?
He broke Kiner's record for the fewest games to 300 home runs, getting there 132 games faster. The at-bats record he broke belonged to Babe Ruth, not Kiner. Kiner actually ranked third by at-bats, behind Ruth and Mark McGwire.