Aaron Judge's greatness is more than just a home run record

Analysis by Harry Enten, CNN

Updated 1630 GMT (0030 HKT) September 22, 2022

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is having an offensive season for the history books — and it isn't just the home runs.

(CNN)Let me be clear: I'd rather be audited by the IRS than see the New York Yankees win a World Series. I hate them and everyone who plays for them. That said, you'd have to be an idiot to not recognize the historic season Aaron Judge is having.

Yes, Judge is likely to break the American League record for home runs in a season, which is impressive onto itself. It's so much more than that, however. A look across different metrics shows just how dominant Judge has been — and how it has helped garner interest for the once favorite pastime of America.Judge stands at 60 home runs and is on pace to end up in the mid 60s. That means he'll likely end up far ahead of the longtime American League record of 61 homers by Roger Maris. Judge is likely to fall short of the Major League Baseball record of 73 home runs. Anyone who has been following Judge's pursuit will note that most people have brushed aside that record — held by Barry Bonds — or any home run season north of 61 home runs because all those men were embroiled in performance enhancing drug scandals and allegedly used steroids. Bonds and Sammy Sosa have denied those allegations.Aaron Judge's lead in the home run race is an outlier in MLB history.Whether or not you believe those other records are legitimate, what can't be argued with is that records like Bonds' happened during an era in which home runs flew out of the park faster than a Concorde jet. When Bonds hit 73 home runs in 2001, Sosa hit 64. When Mark McGwire hit 70 home runs in 1998, Sosa hit 66. Read MoreRight now, Judge