The Sportsletter - All Rise for the Record ⚾️

BY JEFF YODER

OCT. 5, 2022  |  SUBSCRIBE  |  REFER  |  WEB VIEW

Good Morning,

All rise. It's another Aaron Judge milestone. The record-breaking 62nd home run finally came on Tuesday night in Texas, and it was a glorious sight for sports fans. No AL batter has ever hit more homers in a season. Case closed.

Letter Rip!

DAILY PNUT

Want more than just sports? Subscribe to Daily Pnut and get all your news in a nutshell. 

MLB

62! Judge Rakes the AL Record

Photo: Ron Jenkins / Getty Images

Aaron Judge Hits AL Record 62nd Home Run in Yankees’ Win Over Rangers (5-4)

The record-breaker! Move aside, Roger Maris. Aaron Judge is the new American League home run king. The Yankees slugger didn’t wait long on Tuesday before sending a leadoff homer over the left-field wall. The history-making blast came against Rangers’ ace Jesus Tinoco at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. A standing ovation from fans and players alike welcomed Judge across home plate for the single-season AL record with 62 home runs. The Yankees had to rally for the win (5-4), and Judge now sits among home-run royalty.

"Getting a chance to do this, with the team we've got, the guys surrounding me, the constant support from my family whose been with me through this whole thing ... it's been a great honor.” — Aaron Judge

Most HRs in a Single Season

Barry Bonds (SF): 73 (2001)

Mark McGwire (STL): 70, 65 (1998, 1999)

Sammy Sosa (CHI): 66, 64, 63 (1998, 1999, 2001)

Aaron Judge (NYY): 62 (2022)

Watch: Aaron Judge Breaks AL Record With 62nd Home Run

Judge’s Triple Crown Watch

The historic season for Judge has one final game this afternoon in Houston (4:05 pm ET). The Yankees (99-62) will go for 100 wins, and Judge will still, somehow, have a shot at becoming the first to capture the MLB Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera (2012) — leader in batting average, home runs and RBIs. Only 12 players in MLB history have claimed such a feat. Judge needs a perfect day at the plate while hoping Twins 2B Luis Arraez goes cold to swipe the top batting average.

Judge’s Triple Crown Ranks

Home Runs: 62 (1st)

RBIs: 131 (1st)

Batting Average: 0.310 (2nd)

There’s one game left, and Judge might not be done making history.

Additional Storylines

MLB: 15 Facts About Aaron Judge’s Historic Season

SI: Aaron Judge: The Authentic Home Run King

ESPN: The Road to 62: How Aaron Judge Made Home Run History in 2022

NY Times: With His 62nd Home Run, Aaron Judge Makes His Case

NFL

Week 5 Power Rankings

Photo: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images

Eagles & Bills Remain 1-2; Chiefs, Packers, Cowboys, Vikings & Bengals on the Rise

It’s another Wednesday rendition of The Sportsletter’s NFL Power Rankings. The team and myself have conjured up this weekly rankings snapshot based on what we’ve seen over the first four weeks. The Eagles and Bills both fell behind by double digits on Sunday before grinding out wins that proved their moxie — both against other top-10 teams. The Chiefs and Packers climbed the board and jumped the Ravens and Dolphins, and the Cowboys and Bengals appear to be hitting strides as the season progresses. There’s only one undefeated team and one winless team after four weeks. Everybody else? They’re still kicking.

NFL Power Rankings

1. Eagles (4-0) | —

2. Bills (3-1) | —

3. Chiefs (3-1) | ↑1

4. Packers (3-1) | ↑2

5. Dolphins (3-1) | ↓2

6. Ravens (2-2) | ↓1

7. Cowboys (3-1) | ↑2

8. Bengals (2-2) | ↑3

9. Vikings (3-1) | ↑4

10. Buccaneers (2-2) | ↓2

Teams 11-20: 11 Giants (3-1) | 12. Rams (2-2) | 13. Jaguars (2-2) | 14. Chargers (2-2) | 15. Cardinals (2-2) | 16. 49ers (2-2) | 17. Broncos (2-2) | 18. Titans (2-2) | 19. Browns (2-2) | 20. Falcons (2-2)

Teams 21-32: 21. Seahawks (2-2) | 22. Raiders (1-3) | 23. Jets (2-2) | 24. Patriots (1-3) | 25. Colts (1-2-1) | 26. Bears (2-2) | 27. Lions (1-3) | 28. Saints (1-3) | 29. Steelers (1-3) | 30. Panthers (1-3) | 31. Commanders (1-3) | 32. Texans (0-3-1)

Editor's Note: Do you agree or disagree with any of today's Power Rankings? Reply to today's newsletter to share your thoughts.

Week 5 Schedule

Additional Storylines

SI: NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Eagles Looking Like the Real Deal

B/R: 2022 NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Entering Week 5?

SOCCER

Champions League Juggernauts

Photo: Soccrates Images / Getty Images

Napoli & Bayern Munich Continue Domination in Matchday 3 of Champions League

The UEFA Champions League Group Stage continued on Tuesday with Matchday 3, and two teams remain head and shoulders above the competition. Both Napoli and Bayern Munich were five-goal winners to keep their Champions League records unblemished through three games. Napoli continues to garner the headlines with a 13-2 goal differential in Group A. They pummeled Ajax (6-1) and appear to be torching their way to the No. 1 seed in the Knockout Stage. Two blowouts, five shutouts and a scoreless draw highlight Tuesday across the pond, but there’s more action on the way today.

Champions League Highlights (Matchday 3)

Napoli def. Ajax (6-1)

Tottenham draw Eintracht Frankfurt (0-0)

Bayern def. Viktoria Plzen (5-0)

Marseille def. Sporting (4-1)

FC Porto def. Bayer Leverkusen (2-0)

Club Brugge def. Atletico Madrid (2-0)

Inter def. Barcelona (1-0)

Liverpool def. Rangers (2-0)

Matchday 3 Schedule (Today)

RB Salzburg vs. Dinamo Zagreb (12:45 pm ET)
RB Leipzig vs. Celtic (12:45 pm ET)
Chelsea vs. Milan (3:00 pm ET)

Juventus vs. Maccabi Haifa (3:00 pm ET)
Real Madrid vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (3:00 pm ET)
Sevilla vs. Dortmund (3:00 pm ET)

Benfica vs. PSG (3:00 pm ET)
Manchester City vs. Copenhagen (3:00 pm ET)

Additional Storylines

Sky Sports: Napoli Thrash Ajax With Barcelona & Atletico Madrid Suffering Defeats

CBS Sports: Champions League Recap: Napoli & Bayern Win Big, VAR Drama in Inter-Barca

THE STORYLINES

🏈 Ranking CFB’s 16 Unbeaten Teams

Five weeks in, we are left with the Stupendous 16. A week from now it might be the Fabulous 14 or Thunderous 13. We know inherently that most of these teams will lose in the coming weeks, but until they do, they can keep dreaming. (ESPN+)

🏁 How Trackhouse is Revolutionizing NASCAR

With a pair of successful drivers and a new philosophy on what it means to be a team, the upstart—don’t call them underdogs—operation is making waves in stock car racing. Here’s how Trackhouse is trying to change NASCAR. (Sports Illustrated)

🏀 NBA Preseason GM Survey

After finishing fifth in MVP voting last season, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the top choice among NBA general managers to win the award in 2022-23. A survey of GMs across the league gave insight into what teams think about the year ahead. (Bleacher Report)

📰 THE HEADLINES

• Steelers List QB Kenny Pickett as QB1 on New Depth Chart (ESPN)
• Broncos Sign RB Latavius Murray After Losing RB Javonte Williams (CBS Sports)
• Former WNBA 1st-Round Pick Tiffany Jackson Dies at 37 From Breast Cancer Battle (Yahoo! Sports)
• Ex-NFL RB LeGarrette Blount Involved in Youth Football Game Fight (USA Today)
• Poker World Rocked by Cheating Allegations During Live Stream Show (SI)

• Colts RB Jonathan Taylor in Walking Boot at Practice, Plans to Play Thursday (B/R)

• New York Islanders Agree to Terms With Mathew Barzal on 8-Year Extension (NBC Sports)

NFL PICK 'EM

Week 5 Picks

Let’s reset the points! We’ll keep track of our season-long leaderboard as the year rolls on, but you can join the fun at any time for a shot at weekly prizes. Week 5 picks can be made until Sunday.

Thursday Night Football Games Not Included to Allow Players to Make Picks Until Sunday Morning

Support The Sportsletter Team

Writer & Editor: Jeff Yoder

Product Manager: Matthew Cahill

Lead Designer: Joe Stella

Technical Lead: Kevin Lonergan

Did Someone Forward You This Email? Subscribe Here
Feedback? Contact Our Editor: Jeff@TheSportsletter.com
Not Loving The Letter? Unsubscribe
Follow us on Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Copyright © 2022 The Sportsletter
717 Market Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103