"When I swing at pitches in the zone, I feel like I can do some damage with them” - New York Yankees All-Star slugger Aaron Judge dazzles with another brilliant outing, hits league-leading 27th home run of the season

The New York Yankees are rolling, and Aaron Judge is the driving force behind their success. Judge now leads major league baseball with 27 home runs.

With contract negotiations hanging over his head, many fans were unsure how Judge would react. Fans also wondered whether those issues would affect his performance on the field. Through all the turmoil, he has been a standout professional and a leader during the first 69 games of the Yankees' season.

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees high fives teammates after beating the Tampa Bay Rays

The race for first is not even that close. Houston's Yordan Alvarez and the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout are both tied with 21 HRs. Meanwhile, Mets slugger Pete Alonso is in fourth place with 20 HRs. The closest Yankees on that list are Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton with 19 and 14, respectively.

Aaron Judge leads the league with 27 home runs

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees hits a solo home run against the Tampa Bay Rays

Even for a player of Judge's calibre, these numbers are extraordinary. He is on pace to hit 63 home runs, which would break the Yankee record held by Roger Maris of 61. Before Maris, the record was held by Bath Ruth. He hit an almost unfathomable 60 home runs in an era when teams only played 154 games. If Judge can, somehow, reach 60 in 154 games, then we can begin the Ruth comparisons.

"Aaron Judge is on pace to hit 63 home runs this season" - Talkin' Yanks

The Yankees' hitting, as a whole, has been noteworthy. Gleyber Torres, Giancarlo Stanton, and Anthony Rizzo are in double-digits for home runs. All have over 30 RBIs. The Yankees, as a whole, lead the majors in home runs (115), and OPS (.769) and are tied for first with the Mets in total runs (353). They are second in the league in RBIs (333) and walks (259).

The Yankees' former All-Stars Joey Gallo and DJ LeMahieu are having below par seasons, and Chapman is still on the injured list. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees make any moves during the off-season. One thing is for sure, power hitting is not an area they need to address.

"AARON JUDGE, HR NUMBER 27 FOR JUDGE" - Pickwise

Although the Yankees offense is potent, it's Judge's power that has lifted this team to first place in the league. Judge now has six multi-home run games this season, leading the team. He has 22 career multi-home run games and trails only Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio and Alex Rodriguez in that category.

"Multi-homer games in NYY history: Babe Ruth 68, Mickey Mantle 46, Lou Gehrig 43, Joe DiMaggio 35, Alex Rodriguez 29, Aaron Judge 22, Jason Giambi 22, Mark Teixeira 21" - Jeff Quagliata

The Yankees are currently first in the American League East with a 51-18 record. They hold a commanding 12-game lead over the Jays. With Judge seeing the ball so well and the supporting cast performing, the Yankees should make the playoffs.

Whether Judge leaves in the offseason is a topic for next season. For now, the Yankees have to be considered favorites for their first World Series since 2009.