NEW YORK — What started as a regular baseball matchup between Aaron Judge and Mike Trout quickly escalated into an epic power display between two of the game’s biggest stars.
The Angels superstar launched his second homer of the night deep into left-center field, the ball ricocheting off the back wall beyond the bullpen area to give Los Angeles a two-run advantage in the eighth inning. This came after Judge had already connected twice to help the New York Yankees build their lead.
The historic showdown marked the first time in seven decades that two players who have each won three MVP awards hit multiple home runs in the same contest.
Trent Grisham delivered his second blast of the night — matching his season total — to even the score in the ninth frame. José Caballero crossed home plate when Jordan Romano’s wild pitch ended the game, securing an electrifying 11-10 Yankees victory on Monday that snapped a five-game skid.
“It was great. That’s baseball for you,” Trout marveled. “It’s what fans want, and to be able to see something like that, pretty cool.”
According to STATS Perform, such a performance between two three-time MVP winners had occurred just once previously.
The last instance happened on June 21, 1956, when Stan Musial connected twice before Roy Campanella launched a game-tying three-run shot in the ninth for his second homer of the day. Don Zimmer then delivered a walk-off single as the Brooklyn Dodgers defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 at Ebbets Field.
Trout came close to a third home run, flying out to Cody Bellinger near the center-field wall with the bases loaded in the fourth inning. This occurred after the Angels had knotted the game 4-4 with four unearned runs following Caballero’s fielding mistake on Trout’s leadoff ground ball to short.
Judge had anticipated meeting up with Trout in the Yankee Stadium weight room.
“I was going to talk some smack to him after the one he hit all the way to the warning track,” Judge said, “but I didn’t get a chance to and then he answers right back with two big homers for him. 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, especially in New York and the Bronx.”
The Yankees had dropped five consecutive games following an 8-2 beginning and entered the night winless in six one-run contests.
Seven long balls combined to travel 2,846 feet — exceeding half a mile — with New York accounting for five of them. Judge’s opening blast sailed 456 feet into the left-field bleachers, leaving his bat at 116.2 mph for the season’s hardest-hit home run.
Both Grisham and Trout drove in five runs apiece, while Judge contributed three RBIs.
The game featured the sport’s top four active home run hitters. Judge, now with 374, moved one ahead of teammate Paul Goldschmidt. Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who leads active players with 454, missed by approximately a foot with a fifth-inning double off the center-field wall. Trout sits at 408 career homers.
The 34-year-old Trout captured AL MVP honors in 2014, 2016, and 2019 but has battled injuries throughout much of the last five seasons.
“He’s the greatest of all time. It’s been fun to watch his whole career, coming up at such a young age and instantly just putting yourself at the top of the list. It’s special,” Judge said.
Judge, who celebrates his 34th birthday on April 26, earned AL MVP recognition in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
“Those are two of the greats, so it’s really fun to watch,” Yankees starter Will Warren said.
Both Judge and Caballero launched two-run shots off Yusei Kikuchi during a four-run second inning on an unusually warm 77-degree evening. Following Caballero’s defensive miscue that led to unearned runs against Warren, Grisham entered as a pinch-hitter in the fifth and connected for a three-run drive against Shaun Anderson, extending the lead to 7-4.
Trout responded with a three-run blast in the sixth against Jake Bird, who was sent down to Triple-A following the game.
Judge’s homer off Anderson to start the bottom half gave him 47 multi-homer performances, surpassing Mickey Mantle by one and trailing only Babe Ruth’s 68 among Yankees players.
“To be surrounded by some greats like that, it’s special,” Judge said.
Josh Lowe tied the game at 8 with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly, and Trout’s two-run shot in the eighth off Camilo Doval pushed the Angels ahead 10-8 with his 31st multi-homer game. Judge, observing from right field, shook his head in disbelief.
“Every time he comes to the Bronx, man, he puts on a show,” Judge said. “I hate to see it, but it’s fun competing against a guy like that.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr. opened the ninth with a single against Jordan Romano, and Grisham reached down to pull a slider into the right-field seats as the closer placed both hands on his head in dismay.
Caballero doubled and stole third base without a throw. After Austin Wells drew a walk, Caballero scored when Romano bounced a full-count slider to Ryan McMahon to the backstop on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
The Yankees hadn’t won while surrendering double-digit runs since defeating Minnesota 14-12 on July 23, 2019.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone described his emotions as “tough … for the belly.”
He then shifted focus to his team.
“You get a lead, then you get another lead, and then it’s gone,” he said. “For the guys, maybe it was good to have a game like that where it was a little messy.”
