Aaron Judge has officially homered in every active Major League ballpark.
The Yankees’ slugger crossed the final stadium off his list Friday night with a towering shot at Coors Field, launching a solo home run to center field in the sixth inning. It came in his first career game at the hitter-friendly park and marked his 17th long ball of the season.
For a player who has made a habit of making the league look small, this was a milestone that had quietly eluded him, only because it was his first career game here.
Coors Field, with its thin Denver air and reputation for gaudy offensive numbers, might seem like a place Judge would’ve checked off his list long ago. The last time the Yankees were in Denver, however, Judge was coming off a foot injury.That all changed Friday, when he wasted little time in leaving his mark.
The home run, a no-doubter off Rockies starterTanner Gordon, traveled an estimated 365 feet. Short work for Judge, but it's a start in the first game of three in the thin air of the Mile High City.
It was also part of a broader power surge. Judge has now hit seven home runs in May alone. Since dipping below .400 for the first time in two weeks on Thursday, he’s responded by making history yet again.
With Coors Field finally crossed off his list, Judge now holds at least one home run in all 30 active stadiums. He joins a select group of active sluggers to have homers in all 30 stadiums, including former teammate Juan Soto and current teammate Giancarlo Stanton. Carlos Santana, Manny Machado, and Randal Grichuk have also homered in all 30.
More must-reads:
The Philadelphia Phillies have one of the best starting rotations in baseball. Not only do they have a great front five, but there goes, potentially, eight pitchers deep with MLB talent. Unsurprisingly, with such a surplus of talent, the Phillies are drawing trade interest in their starters. Ranger Suarez, whose contract expires at the end of the year, would be a typical trade deadline candidate. But he's going nowhere. Instead, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are drawing trade interest in Phillies right-handed prospect Mick Abel. The 23-year-old starter could be a trade chip if the Phillies find a suitable trade target. "... Same goes for Mick Abel," Gelb writes, "who is drawing trade interest." The Phillies right-hander has impressed in his brief Major League stint, even if he now sits at a 5.04 ERA in six starts. His ceiling, which he displayed in his MLB debut, is enough to captivate teams around baseball. In the minors, Abel has been dominant this season. He has a 1.83 ERA in 12 starts in Triple-A, a significant improvement over his 6.46 ERA in 2024. Abel's progress this season has been incredible, and has teams interested in trading for him. If the Phillies find a trade partner for an outfielder or a dominant reliever, Abel could be a centerpiece of a deal to land such a player at the deadline. With the crowded rotation, Abel might not have a starting role on the roster for the rest of the season. He could go to the bullpen for the postseason run or be dealt to land a high-profile reliever or outfielder. But, regardless of what the Phillies do with Abel, this report from Gelb is a good sign. If teams around baseball are interested in Abel, then his progress isn't just a facade; it's something teams are willing to buy in on.
One question remains after New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu announced his retirement. How long until Canton calls? On Tuesday, the 12-year NFL veteran revealed he was retiring, effective immediately, ending the New Orleans native's legendary football career. In a statement published to social media, the three-time first-team All-Pro wrote, "As I hang up my cleats, I'm filled with gratitude as I close this chapter of my life and officially retire from the game that's shaped me in every way. "From my first snap in college to my final play in the NFL, this journey has been nothing short of a blessing." He's a surefire first-ballot Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame honoree, breaking out while at LSU (2010-11). During his freshman and sophomore seasons, he forced 11 fumbles with eight recoveries, four interceptions and four total touchdowns while finishing fifth in Heisman voting in 2011. Mathieu was dismissed from the team in 2012 after failing multiple drug tests and then was arrested on marijuana charges, but he didn't allow that to define his career. Instead, he carved out what could be considered a Pro Football Hall of Fame resume, too. Mathieu ends his professional career with 838 tackles, 100 passes defended and 36 interceptions. In addition to being named first-team All-Pro three times, he received three Pro Bowl honors and was a member of the Hall of Fame All-2010 Team. Mathieu also won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2020. Per Mathieu's Pro Football Reference's Hall of Fame Monitor score (65.2), he has a below-average case for enshrinement, with the average Hall of Fame defensive back scoring a 96.93. But players have received a gold jacket with worse scores in the PFR metric, including John Lynch, Eric Allen and Dick LeBeau. While he might have to wait past his first ballot to make it into the Hall of Fame, it would be a shame if Mathieu didn't one day receive his flowers. It certainly helps his case that in addition to being one of the greatest safeties of his generation, Mathieu was, by all accounts, just as outstanding off the field. NewOrleans.Football's Nick Underhill and Arizona Cardinals insider Kyle Odegard, who covered Mathieu when he played for the Cardinals, were among the media members to share fond stories about Mathieu. "One of those guys who really respected the job we do and would take the time to explain the game," Underhill shared. "He an all-world talent and the most accessible, genuine, introspective superstar I've ever met," Odegard wrote. It could take longer than five years, but it should surprise no one if one day Mathieu receives Hall of Fame recognition. He is the Honey Badger, after all. He takes what he wants.
Washington Commanders wide receiver Terry McLaurin has made his feelings loud and clear. McLaurin has expressed disappointment in Washington's lack of urgency in getting a new contract signed for the future as his current deal is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season. NFL.com writer Jeremy Bergman looked into McLaurin's contract saga and explains why the Commanders just need to rip off the band-aid and sign him. McLaurin's lack of deal becoming concern "McLaurin is currently 17th in AAV among receivers (behind teammate Deebo Samuel) on a $23.2 million-per deal that is in its final year," Bergman wrote. "A two-time Pro Bowler, McLaurin was the leader in the clubhouse during the tumultuous ownership transition from Dan Snyder to Josh Harris -- and now wants to be paid like the valued face of the franchise he was. McLaurin could probably wait until the 11th hour before Week 1 to sign and be good to go out of the gate. But after the good vibes of the '24 season, the last thing the Commanders want is their upstanding star WR spending any time away from the team entering 2025." The Commanders are definitely needing to pay McLaurin just based on how much he does for the team. If McLaurin goes into the season unhappy or holds out until the regular season, the Commanders could suffer big time. The Commanders will begin training camp practice today, but it's unlikely that McLaurin will participate.
On Saturday night, Kelsey Plum was part of Team Collier's 151-131 win over Team Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game, scoring 16 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out three assists. Following the game, the Los Angeles Sparks star was asked about WNBA All-Stars wearing shirts before the game that read, "Pay Us What You Owe Us." Specifically, Plum was asked about how that idea came together. "The T-shirt — just a united front," she said. "That was determined this morning, that we had a meeting for. Not to tattletale, but zero members of Team Clark were very present for that." Plum said it with a chuckle. However, she was sitting next to New York Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu, who rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't really need to be mentioned" before laughing. It was awkward, especially because Caitlin Clark, as well as all of the members of Team Clark, wore the shirts. If Clark didn't wear the shirt, you could understand some backlash. But she did. It should also be noted that Team Collier featured the president of the WNBA Players Association, Nneka Ogwumike, as well as the first vice president, Plum, and two vice presidents, Napheesa Collier and Brenna Stewart. It makes sense if they took on greater leadership roles in a statement like this against the league. Whether Plum likes it or not, the reason the WNBA has any sort of leverage heading into these negotiations with the league is Clark. She would do well to remember that the next time she wants to take an unnecessary shot at Clark, who is responsible for the greatest surge in fan attention the WNBA has ever seen.
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!