Roger Maris Jr.’s congratulatory tweet to Aaron Judge offers hint of shade at PED users

Roger Maris Jr. threw some serious shade at the likes of Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in his congratulatory tweet to Aaron Judge.

Judge hit his 62nd home run of the 2022 season on Tuesday night against the Texas Rangers. That home run broke a tie with Yankees legend Roger Maris for the most in a single season in American League history.

The key footnote there, of course, is American League history. Maris’s record was passed by Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, all three of whom played in the National League.

All three of those players also had ties to performance-enhancing drugs. If it were up to people such as Roger Maris Jr., those three would have their single-season home run marks erased, or fitted for an asterisk.

Maris Jr. has been in attendance for most of Judge’s home run chase, alongside the current Yankees’ mother.

Roger Maris Jr. throws shade at PED users while congratulating Aaron Judge

Maris Jr. has been consistent in that regard. Since his introduction into the national spotlight as Judge neared 62, Maris Jr. has used his platform to question the accomplishments of others, and their authenticity. It should be noted, as well, that the original Roger Maris hit his 61 home runs in 161 games, while Babe Ruth hit 60 in 151 games, but who’s counting anyway?

Let us enjoy the moment — one of the truly memorable home run chases in recent memory — before automatically engaging in baseball debate like this is First Take.

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All three of Bonds, McGwire and Sosa have been tied to performance-enhancing drugs, but it’s not necessarily true when they were taken, or how often. Maris Jr. would prefer there to be two home run records, one for so-called clean players, and another for those who took PEDs.

Unfortunately for Maris Jr., two records already do exist — most home runs in National League history, and most home runs in American League history. His father now doesn’t hold either.