While no one has the answers for Aaron Judge on the field right now, fans are trying to slow him down off of it.

The New York Yankees slugger had his plaque commemorating his 62nd home run two years ago stolen from Globe Life Park, the stadium where the Texas Rangers play. Even though Judge plays for a different team, the Rangers made a classy move to immortalize one of the record-breaking moments in baseball history.

Justin Shackil of the YES Network was the first to report the news as the Yankees took on the Rangers last week for a three-game series, and Shackil stated that there would not be a third plaque to replace the stolen one.

Judge broke Roger Marris’s AL regular-season record of 61 home runs in 2022, which stood for 61 years. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in a season, but due to steroid usage, most analysts believe 61 was the number to beat for most HRs in a single year. After hitting 62 bombs, Judge discussed the emotions of breaking that record.

“Roger Maris Jr,. him and his family, supporting and being along for the ride too, a lot of thanks and congratulations to them too. It’s a tough situation, your dad’s legacy and you want to uphold that. But getting a chance to meet that family, they are wonderful people. Getting a chance to have my name next to someone as great as Roger Maris, Babe Ruth, those guys, is incredible.”

Judge is looking for an encore in 2024. So far, the Bronx Bomber has 51 home runs with 22 games left in the regular season. While it sounds like a long shot, the slugger is batting .323 at the plate, and with the Yankees in a dead heat for the AL East title, Judge’s at-bats will be a deciding factor.

After winning the first game of the series with the Rangers, the Yankees dropped the next two for a series loss.

The MLB released the rest of the AL and NL rosters. The starters are voted on by the fans and were announced early last week. However, MLB players decide who will fill out the rest of the All-Star game rosters.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skeens made the team as an All-Star reserve, making history as the first No.1 pick to become an All-Star the season after being drafted. The former LSU righty has a 2.12 ERA and a record of 5-0. Garrett Crochet, the Chicago White Sox left-handed pitcher, also made his first All-Star team as he leads the MLB in strikeouts with 146 and allows the fifth-lowest WHIP at 0.97. Industry experts believe that Crochet may be dealt at the trade deadline because of the need for starting pitching amongst contenders and the White Sox owning the worst record in baseball.

With a plethora of young talent entering the MLB in recent years, 32 combined players are competing in their first mid-summer classic. While there are the familiar names on the American League side, with Jose Altuve and Salvador Perez making their ninth All-Star appearance, there are budding stars such as Jordan Westberg of the Baltimore Orioles and Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox earning their first call-up.

The Philadelphia Phillies sent the most players to Texas, seven, as the team with the best record in the National League was rewarded. In the AL, four teams sent a pair of starters: the Orioles, New York Yankees, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros. Toronto Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will play without a teammate.

MLB teams earn a week off from playing baseball starting Monday, July 15, until Friday, July 19, as the sport takes its usual pause. The AL has won nine of the past ten contests, but the game has turned into an exhibition with home-field advantage not on the table as it was in recent years.

Riding a Marwin Gonzalez home run last night, the Minnesota Twins stretched out their first place position despite most eyes finding their way to the Yankees vs. Red Sox rivalry or the red hot Houston Astros battle the always dangerous Oakland A’s.

While the Twins already possess an identity that prompts their players to excel without a spotlight that a New York team might draw, the club’s continued success deserves recognition among the headline-writing Yankees and Astros.

After success that rolled over from season to season, the Cleveland Indians appear lost as their former playoff pedigree deteriorates day by day. With Cleveland’s fall from prosperity, the Twins now sit atop the AL Central, leading substantially with a double–digit game distance between themselves and division’s former kings. Lead by the league’s youngest manager, Rocco Baldelli, Minnesota’s first-place lead threatens to only grow larger with the club’s surprisingly effective pitching rotation and productive play at the plate.

Across key offensive statistical categories such as batting average, on base percentage, total hits, home runs and RBIs, at least one Twins player strikes the top five amongst all American League hitters. Most notably, Jorge Polanco continues to set the bar high for hitters as he leads the American League, sporting a .335 batting average. Meanwhile, left fielder Eddie Rosario brings the power at the plate, hitting 17 home runs while also driving in 49 total runs, which place Rosario into second place among American League hitters for both statistical categories. As a team, Minnesota leads the entire league in home runs, batting average, and RBIs even with slugger Nelson Cruz absent from the lineup, displaying their consistent offensive dominance while possessing a convincing reason to expect the onslaught to continue in Cruz’s upcoming return.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The recently assembled Minnesota rotation generally tears through opponents as well, combing for a league sixth-best 3.84 ERA. Although Minnesota’s pitchers fail to display prosperity equal to those swinging the bat, this more so speaks to Minnesota’s offensive excellence, rather than diminish their overall well–oiled pitching staff. Jake Odorizzi fills the undisputed ace role, dealing each time he ascends to the mound with an American League-best 2.16 ERA. Starters Kyle Gibson, Jose Berrios, and Martin Perez follow quickly behind Odorizzi, as the three combine to post a 3.58 ERA. However, todays league leans further and further on bullpen pitching, illuminating an inevitable singular flaw for Minnesota, as their pen ranks toward the league’s bottom half with just a 4.37 ERA.

Although those working from the bullpen require some fine–tuning, this squad’s efficiency across the board illustrates why they find themselves scorching hot, hoisting a belt with the words “Best American League Record” painted across it. Whether or not this bunch will hold onto that belt as the seasons continues to play out expectedly remains unanswered. Nonetheless, while the Twins may not sell jerseys or demand the attention that the Yankees and Astros do, they remain not only a team treading water in a powerful American League, but swimming fast and forward towards an AL Central crown.

The American League defeated the National League 8-6 in Tuesday night’s MLB All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.

MLB All-Star Game 2018 Highlights

The contest featured ten home runs, — five from each team — the most of any All-Star Game.

The AL has now won the All-Star matchup in 13 of the past 16 years. Houston Astros third baseman/shortstop Alex Bregman, 24, won the Game MVP award, and also smacked the game-winning homer in the 10th inning.

Here are some of the highlights from the game:

Second-year New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge opened the scoring in the second with a left-field homer that put the AL up 1-0.

Then in the third, Mike Trout hit a deep ball off Jacob deGrom to double the AL’s lead:

The NL made it 2-1 in the bottom of the frame when Wilson Contreras tapped a pitch from Blake Snell over the left-field wall.

In the fourth, buddies Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles and Matt Kemp of the Los Angeles Dodgers snapped a selfie together, amid speculation of Machado landing with the Dodgers via trade.

After Bregman made it 6-5 in the tenth, George Springer and Jean Segura added one run each.

In total, the game lasted nearly three hours and 40 minutes.

Four American League teams and one National League teams were represented the most out of the 54 finalists for the 2017 Gold Glove Awards, which were unveiled on Thursday, one day before the World Series shifts to Houston for Game 3.

Rawlings Gold Glove Finalists 2017 News

The awards honor players for their outfield prowess during the 2017 season.

The Indians, Angels, Red Sox and Royals each have four finalists, while the Reds are the only NL club with four finalists.

Once the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners are announced on Nov. 7 at 9 pm EST on ESPN, one player from each league will be named a Platinum Glove Award winner.

Here is the full list of winners:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Pitchers

• LHP Chris Sale, Red Sox
• RHP Marcus Stroman, Blue Jays
• RHP Alex Cobb, Rays

Catchers

• Yan Gomes, Indians
• Martin Maldonado, Angels
• Salvador Perez, Royals

First baseman

• Carlos Santana, Indians
• Eric Hosmer, Royals
• Mitch Moreland, Red Sox

Second baseman

• Brian Dozier, Twins
• Ian Kinsler, Tigers
• Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox

Third baseman

• Manny Machado, Orioles
• Jose Ramirez, Indians
• Evan Longoria, Rays

Shortstop

• Elvis Andrus, Rangers
• Andrelton Simmons, Angels
• Francisco Lindor, Indians

Left field

• Brett Gardner, Yankees
• Alex Gordon, Royals
• Justin Upton, Angels

Center field

• Lorenzo Cain, City Royals
• Kevin Pillar, Blue Jays
• Byron Buxton, Twins

Right field

• Kole Calhoun, Angels
• Mookie Betts, Red Sox
• Aaron Judge, Yankees

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Pitchers

• RHP R.A. Dickey, Braves
• RHP Zack Greinke, D-backs
• RHP Zach Davies, Brewers

Catchers

• Buster Posey, Giants
• Yadier Molina, Cardinals
• Tucker Barnhart, Reds

First baseman

• Joey Votto, Reds
• Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
• Anthony Rizzo, Cubs

Second baseman

• DJ LeMahieu, Rockies
• Dee Gordon, Marlins
• Ben Zobrist, Cubs

Third baseman

• Nolan Arenado, Rockies
• Anthony Rendon, Nationals
• David Freese, Pirates

Shortstop

• Freddy Galvis, Phillies
• Brandon Crawford, Giants
• Corey Seager, Dodgers

Left field

• Gerardo Parra, Rockies
• Adam Duvall, Reds
• Marcell Ozuna, Marlins

Center field

• Billy Hamilton, Reds
• Michael Taylor, Nationals
• Ender Inciarte, Braves

Right field

• Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
• Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins
• Jason Heyward, Cubs

Molina is seeking his ninth career Gold Glove Award. He has won all eight since 2008. Rockies third baseman Arenado is in position to extend his MLB record for third basemen with a fifth straight Gold Glove Award to begin his career. Cubs right fielder Heyward could win his fifth Gold Glove Award, which would also be his fourth straight. MLB Awards season ends on Nov. 17, when winners are announced live on MLB Network and MLB.com starting at 8 p.m. ET.

PITTSBURGH, PA – SEPTEMBER 06: Yadier Molina #4 of the St. Louis Cardinals rounds third after hitting a grand slam home run in the first inning during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on September 6, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz gave one final pre-game speech before his last Major League Baseball All-Star Game in San Diego Tuesday night.

David Ortiz Inspires AL Teammates With Speech Before MLB All-Star Game

The 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series Champion has a .332 batting average and 22 home runs, so it came as no surprise that all eyes and ears were trained on him as he delivered his speech in the American League clubhouse at Petco Park.

“The one thing I can tell you guys about having a great career at this level is the fact that everyday, everyday you got to bring something to the table for your ballclub,” Ortiz said prior to the Midsummer Classic, his final appearance. “It doesn’t matter how you feel — sometimes you’re not gonna feel 100 percent to do it, but the most important thing is the mindset. Those days that your mind tells you, ‘Hey, you can’t go,’ you say, ‘Yes I can.’ That’s what makes the difference.”

Here is the full speech by Ortiz, aka ‘Big Papi.’

“Tonight, let’s go out there and whoop some ass,” Ortiz said at the end of his spiel.

The 40-year-old Dominican, who will retire after the season, recalled seeing legendary players like Mariano Rivera and Derek Jeter make pre-game speeches in years past and how it made him emotional.

Ortiz has been known for giving several inspiring speeches himself, including one at Fenway Park just days after the Boston marathon bombings in April 2013.

“It’s extremely hard to get here. You don’t get to the All-Star Game just because you have a good name,” Ortiz said Tuesday. “That’s not how it works. You look at the stats on the board; everybody has pretty good numbers.

“You have to look at your career. It’s a wonderful career but it takes a lot of work.”

He and fellow Red Sox Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts all contributed to the American League’s 4-2 victory over the National League on Tuesday night, the fourth straight win for the AL.

If the Red Sox advance to the World Series, they’ll benefit by having home-field advantage.

“It was special. It was from the heart. It had a lot of passion,” said Bradley. “I’ve seen him talk like that before. He shared that he wants the game to get better. He wants the torch passed down.”

 Ortiz has been with the Red Sox since 2003. Before that, he spent five years with the Minnesota Twins, with whom he made his Major League debut on September 2, 1997. He won all three of his World Series (2004, 2007, 2013) with Boston, and was also the World Series MVP in 2013.

BOSTON, MA – JULY 06: David Ortiz #34 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates after hitting a two-run home run in the first inning during the game against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park on July 6, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

Kansas City Royals Eric Hosmer and Salvador Perez both homered in a three-run second inning to power the American League to a 4-2 victory over the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego.

Royals Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez Lead AL To 4-2 Win Over NL In 2016 All-Star Game

The AL also sent off Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz with a win in his final All-Star Game. Hosmer added an RBI single in the third inning and became the first Royal since Bo Jackson in 1989 to receive MVP honors.

“This whole week, this whole San Diego All-Star Game has been unbelievable,” Hosmer said. “It’s a dream come true, and it kind of felt like my first big league homer right there. It was special.”

It was no surprise the Royals first baseman felt that way. Hosmer’s solo homer to left field off San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto in the bottom of the second came in the first All-Star at-bat of his life. Two batters later, Perez became the first catcher in Royals history to score a homer in an All-Star Game, blasting a high two-run bomb to left field.

Indians right-hander Corey Kluber pitched a perfect second to earn the win for the AL, which has now won four consecutive All-Star Games. Kluber also became the first Cleveland pitcher to win an All-Star Game since now-Mets ace Bartolo Colon in 1998.

Chicago Cub Kris Bryant gave the NL a lead in the first, firing a solo shot off the scoreboard beyond the left-field first deck. Miami’s Marcell Ozuna added an RBI single to center field off Toronto right-hander Aaron Sanchez in the fourth to plate Buster Posey and cut the deficit to two runs. However, the AL bullpen didn’t falter after that.

In the top of the eighth, Astros right-hander Will Harris punched out Cardinals shortstop Aledmys Diaz with the bases loaded to keep the AL ahead by two. Orioles lefty Zach Britton then worked a smooth ninth to record the save.

“It’s baseball; we face All-Stars all the time,” Harris said. “It’s no different. You just want to do your job, and now the game counts for so much. With home-field advantage, there’s a little bit extra on the line which makes it that much more fun.”

Britton got Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado to ground into a game-ending double play to seal the win for the AL.

Ortiz, a 40-year-old 10-time All-Star, smacked a ball to first base in the top of the first that was deftly picked up by the Cubs’s Anthony Rizzo. This was the only official at-bat of the night for the Dominican Red Sox slugger. He walked in the third and was removed for a pinch-runner to a loud ovation from both fans and players. Ortiz, who is batting .332 and leads the Majors in on-base percentage and slugging, will retire after the season.

“It’s something that I’ll never forget, when you see all your boys,” Ortiz said of being greeted by his teammates as he left the field. “Pretty much everybody in this dugout has been related to me one way or another.”

Angels center fielder Mike Trout lined a single to center off Cueto in the first to raise his All-Star Game hitting streak to five– and he’s recorded a hit in his first at-bat on all five occasions.

“I’m enjoying it more; I know what I’m going to do,” Trout said of his fifth All-Star experience. “The guys in there do a good job keeping me in the right line, where I’m going at the right time, and I just try to enjoy every minute of it. This time it went so fast.”

Fan-favorite Wil Myers of the Padres roped a two-out double in the fifth, making him the first player to record an extra-base hit in a hometown All-Star Game since Mariners outfielder Mike Cameron did so in 2001. One inning earlier, lefty Drew Pomeranz threw a scoreless fourth and left to a standing ovation.

“The fans were just going crazy since we’re here in our home city,” Pomeranz said. “Especially when they announced both of us. It was pretty awesome. It’s pretty special to have your first one anywhere, but even more so here.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXLF4fAzl-c

SAN DIEGO, CA – JULY 12: Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals and the American League rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the National League in the 2nd inning of the 87th Annual MLB All-Star Game at PETCO Park on July 12, 2016 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

If the MLB season were to end now, the the American League playoffs would be very different than last year’s.

Difficult Start For Most Of AL’s Playoff Teams From 2015

Only one team from the 2015 AL postseason is set to return based on the current standings: the Texas Rangers. The other four playoff teams — the Kansas City Royals, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees — are all at or below 0.500. The Astros and Yankees have it particularly difficult, since they are both in last place in their respective divisions and both 6 1/2 games out of first place.

“We’ve had a lot of things not go our way this year. Everyone is a little frustrated,” Houston outfielder Colby Rasmus said recently. “We want to win. Nobody likes to lose. We aren’t coming in every day and putting the time in to lose.”

The Astros (12-20) have put up some ugly numbers from their starting pitching rotation so far. Dallas Keuchel, last year’s Cy Young Award winner, is 2-4 with a 4.70 ERA. Collin McHugh and Mike Fiers have ERAs over 5.00.

The Yankees (11-18) have recently suffered similar problems, although their rotation has somewhat improved. They won the series against the Red Sox 2-1 and will continue their home-stand this coming week against the Royals and the Chicago White Sox. “I think we’re going in the right direction. We’ve dug ourselves a hole,” infielder Chase Headley said. “You can’t take back what’s already happened, you’ve just got to look forward.”

There are five teams playing at least .600 ball right now. Only the St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates finished above the .600 mark in 2015.

The AL batting leader at the moment is quite a surprise. Third baseman Nick Castellanos, 24, of the Detroit Tigers, a career .267 hitter, is now in the lead with a .375 mark. Castellanos currently has a batting average on balls in play of .453, but according to Fangraphs.com, his groundball rate is around 22 percent, easily the lowest of his career. He has walked only five times all season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu2ssEoSiU8

PHOTO: CLEVELAND, OH – MAY 8: First baseman Eric Hosmer #35 of the Kansas City Royals drops a foul ball hit by Carlos Santana #41 of the Cleveland Indians during the fifth inning at Progressive Field on May 8, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Royals 5-4. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)