Aaron Judge ties Yogi Berra with 358th career home run, lifting Yankees against White Sox

Judge belted an opposite-field homer in his first at-bat Sunday to pull even with Berra for fifth-most homers in New York Yankees history.

Aaron Judge tied Yankees legend and Hall of Famer Yogi Berra when he hit his 358th career home run in the New York Yankees’ game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday. Facing Martín Pérez in the first inning, Judge drove an 0-2 cutter to deep left-center field for what proved to be a go-ahead homer, his 43rd of the season.

The blast moved Judge into a tie with Berra for the fifth-most home runs in franchise history, a milestone that drew immediate attention given Berra’s storied place in Yankees lore. Judge, the Yankees’ captain and a two-time American League Most Valuable Player, earlier in the game nearly put himself alone in fifth place when he ripped a double off the center-field wall in the third inning.

Judge’s milestone came against a veteran arm in Pérez, who got ahead in the count before the cutter missed its target and Judge capitalized with a long, opposite-field drive. The homer gave New York an early lead in a contest in which Judge had already made his presence felt with the third-inning double that caromed off the wall. The combination of power and situational hitting underscored why Judge remains a central offensive force for the Yankees.

The achievement adds to an already remarkable 2025 season for Judge. His 43 home runs through the end of August put him among the major league leaders in long balls and continued a career trajectory that has him frequently mentioned in Hall of Fame discussions. While Judge has substantial ground to make up to approach Babe Ruth’s 659 home runs as a Yankee, the pace and consistency of his power output have continued to redefine modern standards for the franchise.

Judge’s rise into the upper ranks of New York’s all-time home run list follows a steady accumulation of milestones since he became a full-time major leaguer. Elevated to captaincy by the Yankees’ front office, Judge has combined leadership with elite production, earning multiple MVP awards and regularly being among the league leaders in isolated power and slugging percentage. The tie with Berra places Judge alongside one of the organization’s most revered figures, a mark that ties together baseball’s past and present through the achievements of two very different eras.

Yogi Berra, a three-time American League Most Valuable Player and a mainstay of Yankees teams that dominated the 1940s and 1950s, finished his career with 358 homers. Berra’s legacy extends beyond his offensive totals; he was a catch-as-a-leader, a perennial postseason performer and a figure whose name is synonymous with the dynasty era. To be listed alongside him on the franchise leaderboard is a notable distinction in a franchise that has employed many of baseball’s most celebrated sluggers.

For Judge, the statistical climb up the franchise list has been accompanied by national recognition and, in Yankees circles, increasing comparisons to the club’s historic sluggers. The 43rd homer of his 2025 campaign reinforced his status as a centerpiece of New York’s lineup and a consistent source of run production. Whether that output will translate into further franchise records in the years ahead will depend on Judge’s health and longevity, two variables that have proven decisive in the careers of long-term home run leaders.

Judge’s milestone also comes amid a season in which the Yankees have leaned on their veteran core to maintain a competitive posture in the American League. As New York navigates the second half of the schedule, Judge’s ability to deliver in key moments—evident in his early-inning homer Sunday—remains central to the club’s postseason outlook. Managerial and front-office decisions, roster health and pitching performance will all factor into how far the team can go, but Judge’s individual contributions provide a dependable offensive anchor.

Statistically, the home run marked another chapter in a career already notable for broken single-season marks and sustained power output. Judge’s presence on the franchise leaderboard will continue to shift as he adds to his total, and every milestone becomes a new point of comparison against the Yankees’ historic pantheon. For fans and analysts alike, the Berra tie is both a reminder of baseball’s past and a measure of Judge’s ongoing place in the game.

Sunday’s game returned the focus to both the immediate contest and the long arc of a career. In the short term, Judge’s leadoff homer set the tone and provided a tangible contribution to the Yankees’ efforts that day. Over the long term, it represents another step in a career that, through awards, leadership and consistent power, has placed Judge among the most consequential players of his generation. As the season progresses, each additional long ball will redraw the contours of where he stands in franchise history and how close he may come to chasing records that have stood for decades.