Yankees' Aaron Judge Ends Career-High RBI Drought in Dramatic Fashion

Pitchers can only hope to contain him for so long

May 19, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge (99) flips his bat after challenging a called third strike in the fourth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge entered Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays in a bit of a slump. But the three-time MVP showed up in a big way when the Yankees needed him most.

Judge hit a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give New York a 2-0 victory over the Rays on Sunday. That marked the 34-year-old's 17th home run of the season, which once again tied him for the most in the American League this year with Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami. This was also the seven-time All-Star's fourth walk-off homer since 2022, which ties him with Cleveland Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey for the most in the majors during that time frame, according to Sports Reference's Katie Sharp.

Leading up to his game-winning blast on Sunday, though, Judge didn't have an RBI in 11 straight games. That was the longest stretch of games without recording an RBI in his big league career, according to Sharp. The 6-foot-7 slugger was also on an 11-game homerless streak, with his last long ball before Sunday's walk-off coming on May 10 against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Taking a look at the current league leaders in homers and RBIs

May 15, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (12) circles the bases on a two-run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

While Judge and Murakami are now tied for the most home runs in the American League, Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber leads the entire league with 20 long balls so far this year. Behind those three sluggers at the time of publication, Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton and Yankees first baseman Ben Rice each have 16 homers. Then, Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez and St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker round out the list of MLB hitters who currently have at least 15 home runs in 2026.

The top of the leaderboard for RBIs, though, features a few names that might surprise some fans. Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andy Pages are tied for the league lead with 45 RBIs, followed by Miami Marlins catcher Liam Hicks at 44 RBIs. Tampa Bay first baseman Jonathan Aranda leads the American League with 38 RBIs.

If Judge's walk-off blast helps him start to heat up at the plate, he could find himself climbing up the RBI rankings quickly.