"We're watching greatness" - Aaron Boone outlines Aaron Judge's historic feat, places him among Yankees icons

New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge has been on a tear in 2024 following an injury-riddled campaign last season. The six-time All-Star went deep on Saturday against the Toronto Blue Jays to earn plaudits from manager Aaron Boone.

Aaron Judge started the Yankees' rally in the first inning after the Blue Jays had taken the lead thanks to Vladimir Guerro Jr.'s solo shot. Judge cracked a two-run home run, his 16th in the first inning this season, tying him with MLB great Babe Ruth's record for the most in franchise history.

"We're watching greatness," Aaron Boone said per ESPN. "So you try not to take that for granted, what you're seeing 99 do. I feel now, for a few years, you hear a lot of the Babe, Mantle, Gehrig, DiMaggio, those kinds of names intertwined with a lot of things he's doing. So, try to appreciate every now and then what we have."

However, Judge wasn't afforded a chance to add to his league-leading 41 home runs after Blue Jays manager John Schneider intentionally walked the Yankees captain without anyone on base.

This was the first time a player had been intentionally walked in the first two innings of a game with two outs and the bases empty since 1972. Judge was walked to bring catcher Austin Wells to the plate.

Blue Jays manager John Schneider discusses strategy behind walking Aaron Judge

Although the decision to walk Aaron Judge so early surprised many at Yankee Stadium, it worked in favor of Schneider's favor as Gleyber Torres struck out to end the sequence.

"I honestly didn't feel like seeing him swing. That was kind of it," Schneider said per ESPN. "He's in a different category I think than anyone else in the league, where he can just flip the script of a game with one swing."

Judge's two-run homer was followed by Trent Grisham's two-run shot in the second inning as the Yankees raced to a 4-1 lead after two innings. Anthony Volpe added another two-run shot in the sixth inning to back Yankees starter Carlos Rodon's impressive outing from the mound.

The Yankees' bullpen saw off the game as Clay Holmes secured an 8-3 win for the hosts in the second game of the series. With the series tied, the two teams will face off in the rubber game on Sunday.