With most of the nation's attention focused on New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge, in his pursuit of breaking Roger Maris' single-season American League home run record of 61, the National League is producing a very tight and exciting home run race of its own.
Judge has all but won the American League home run crown for 2022. The next-closest to his 55 bombs is Los Angeles Angels Shohei Ohtani with 34. Judge has a 21-home-run lead with three and a half weeks remaining in the regular season.
The National League race is much tighter, however. National League MVP favorite Paul Goldschmidt is pursuing a National League Triple Crown, an achievement that has not been claimed in the National League since 1937, when St. Louis Cardinals leftfielder Joe Medwick won the NL Triple Crown.
Goldschmidt currently is second in batting average (.325), tied for first in RBI (109) and third in home runs (35).
Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley was tied for second with Goldschmidt entering play Sunday, but passed him with his game-tying blast off Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Marco Gonzales in the top of the fourth inning.
Riley now has 36 home runs, just one shy of the National League lead.
Philadelphia Phillies leftfielder Kyle Schwarber leads the National League in home runs with 37.
Schwarber is in the first year of his four-year, $79 million contract with the Phillies. Schwarber signed with the club as a free agent in March, after bashing 32 home runs for the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox in 2021.
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