When the words home run are uttered, there are legendary names associated with them. From Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, from Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa, from Barry Bonds to Albert Pujols. The tale now has two new additions, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, with Matt Olson etching his name right alongside them. But as of now, Judge holds the reigning AL MVP title for breaking Maris’ single-season AL HR record.

The New York Yankees captain could have perhaps followed the same path this year, but injuries derailed him. While his first stint on the IL saw an impressive comeback, a daring display also ended in another injury. His broken toe took an unexpectedly long time to heal, with the Yankees going further down the rankings. Now that he’s back, there may be some hope yet, or so thinks a former MLB slugger.

Mark McGwire Advocates for Aaron Judge

For five different seasons, McGwire was the home run leader during his active years. At one point, he even held the record for most single-season home runs at 70, although Barry Bonds surpassed him at 73 a few years later.

Another thing they had in common was the time they played in the Steroid Era, tainting their names forever. But that didn’t mean each athlete’s innate knowledge of baseball was any less valuable.

In a recent interview, McGwire lauded Judge for his prolific hitting last season, admitting that he had followed it closely. After words of congratulations, the former St. Louis Cardinals player also commented on how the injury has affected the Yankees.

“He’s such a force. I love watching him play. It was sad to see what happened in LA when he broke his toe and had to be out after that great play. Baseball missed him,” McGwire told Foul Territory. “I’m glad he’s back now. Hopefully, he’ll finish strong with the Yankees and get them into the wild card,” he further added.

But as recent stats suggest, a Wild Card entry seems next to impossible.

Chicago White Sox Ruin Yankees’ Wild Card Hopes

The Yankees recently lost the third game in the last four games, while Chicago won its second straight series. Throughout the season, Hal Steinbrenner has kept a World Series hope alive, even if the stats keep telling fans otherwise. After playing the White Sox, the Yankees have fallen a record 5.5 games behind for the Wild Card race.

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The club has suffered through an injury-plagued roster, but underperformance has sealed their fate. As the final weeks of the season progress, the odds become worse. Even Judge hasn’t been able to work his magic to pull the team up through the rankings.

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What do you think? Will the Yankees be able to take a Wild Card spot this year?