Major League Baseball witnessed a historic slugging showdown Monday night as New York Yankees star Aaron Judge and Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout each hit two home runs during their matchup. The Yankees ultimately secured an 11-10 victory in the Bronx.
This remarkable dual MVP performance marks only the fourth time in MLB history that two players, both multi-time MVP winners at the time, have each hit at least two home runs in the same game. Judge and Trout join an elite list including Stan Musial and Roy Campanella, and Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris.
Judge launched his first home run in the first inning off Yusei Kikuchi and added another in the sixth off Shaun Anderson, finishing with three RBIs. Trout’s first homer came in the sixth inning against Jake Bird, followed by another in the eighth that briefly gave the Angels a 10-8 lead.
The Yankees mounted a dramatic comeback in the ninth, tying the game with a home run and scoring the winning run on a wild pitch.
Following the game, both players expressed their admiration for the rare occasion. "It was great. That’s baseball for you," Trout remarked. Judge added, "You put that guy in a clutch situation, a big moment and he’s going to show up every single time, so it’s fun going back and forth with a guy like that."