July's top players no surprise: Judge, Riley

All-Star outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees has been unanimously voted the American League Player of the Month presented by Chevrolet for July, and All-Star third baseman Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves has been named the National League Player of the Month presented by Chevrolet for July.

Judge earned his fourth career AL Player of the Month Award and his second of the 2022 season (also May). This marks the first time that a Yankees player won multiple Player of the Month Awards in the same season since Judge himself did so in 2017 (June and September). The last Yankees player other than Judge to take home Player of the Month honors was Aaron’s All-Star teammate DJ LeMahieu in June 2019. Riley claimed his first career NL Player of the Month Award and is Atlanta’s first winner since his All-Star teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. in April 2021.

• All-time winners

Aaron Judge, New York Yankees

• The two-time Silver Slugger Award winner posted a .333/.446/.806 slash line with 25 runs, 31 hits, five doubles, 13 home runs, 32 RBIs, 17 walks and five stolen bases across 25 games.

• The 32nd overall selection in the 2013 Draft delivered his third walk-off homer of the campaign on Thursday, which tied Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle (1959) for the franchise’s single-season record.

• Recorded his MLB-leading ninth multihomer game of the season on Friday night at Yankee Stadium. His nine such outings are the most by a Yankees player in a single season in club history, and he became the first player in baseball history to register nine multihomer outings through his team’s first 101 games of a season.

• With his Major League-leading 43rd home run of the season on Monday against the Mariners, he became the fourth big leaguer in history to log 43 or more homers through his club’s first 104 games of a season, joining Barry Bonds (2001), Mark McGwire (1998) and Hall of Famer Babe Ruth (1921).

• Made a terrific catch to take away a home run from Kansas City’s MJ Melendez to open last Friday’s contest. See the play here.

Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves

• The 2021 World Series champion batted .423 (44-for-104) with 21 runs scored, 15 doubles, 11 home runs, 25 RBIs, seven walks and a .885 slugging percentage over 26 games played.

• Delivered 16 multihit games during the month of July, third most in a calendar month in franchise history behind Felipe Alou (August 1968) and Ralph Garr (May 1974), who share the record with 17 multihit efforts.

• On July 29th, became the third Brave in franchise history to record at least 44 hits, 11 home runs and 24 RBI within a 25-game span, joining Hall of Famers Chipper Jones (2006) and Hank Aaron (1959).

• Riley, who recently signed a 10-year extension with the Braves, became the seventh player in MLB history to bat .420 or better with at least 26 extra-base hits in a month, joining Richard Hidalgo (2000) and Hall of Famers Joe DiMaggio (1937), Chuck Klein (1930), Chick Hafey (1928), Babe Ruth (1924) and Tris Speaker (1923).

• Notched a walk-off RBI double on Sunday to help Atlanta close the month with a 1-0 win over Arizona. With the double, Riley finished the month of July with 26 extra-base hits, eclipsing Hank Aaron’s July 1961 single-month franchise record of 25. Riley joined Albert Belle, Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Hidalgo and Randy Winn as the only players since 1951 to record at least 26 extra-base hits in a single month.

Others receiving votes for NL Player of the Month presented by Chevrolet included All-Star first baseman Freddie Freeman (.388, 11 2B, 6 HR, 15 RBIs) of the Los Angeles Dodgers and All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado (.338, 5 2B, 5 HR, 11 RBIs) of the St. Louis Cardinals.