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New York Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Bettors like Aaron Judge to do something that hasn't been done since 1941
Aaron Judge chased down one of MLB's most famous numbers three years ago, when he topped Roger Maris' 61 home runs with 62 of his own to break the American League record. Can he achieve another historic milestone this time around, one that hasn't been accomplished in over eight decades? The last MLB player to hit .400 in a single season was Ted Williams, who achieved the feat in 1941. Since then, there have been many players who have raced off to hot starts at the plate, but the closest anyone has come was Tony Gwynn posting a .394 average in 1994. Advertisement Through 52 games (all stats ahead of Monday's slate), Judge leads baseball with a .397 average, which is 40 points higher than the next-closest player, Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman at .357. BetMGM first posted a betting market on whether Judge would hit .400 this season back on May 2, with the opening odds coming in at +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000). Those odds now sit at +15000 (bet $100 to win $15,000) after dipping to +10000. One BetMGM bettor put $2,000 on Judge to hit .400 back when it was priced at +17500, for a potential win of $350,000. Highlighted by that wager, BetMGM told The Athletic that Judge finishing with a .400 average served as the sportsbook's most notable liability among all of its MLB betting markets. 'We get more action on MLB achievement props than any other sport,' said Hal Egeland, Trading Manager at BetMGM. 'MLB's historic numbers seem to have more significance for the public in general, even beyond betting. So these key numbers, like 62 home runs or a .400 batting average, stick in people's minds and draw more interest than, say, LeBron James breaking the points record. If there was ever a case where there's a player bidding for the home run record, I would imagine we would take a massive amount of handle on that.' BetMGM also has a betting market up for whether Judge can capture the American League triple crown (lead in batting average, home runs and runs batted in), a feat last accomplished by Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Judge's 'Yes' odds to win the triple crown are at +135 (bet $100 to win $135), while the 'No' is priced at -200 (bet $200 to win $100). Besides ranking first in batting average, Judge leads the AL in home runs with 18, just edging out Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (17). The Yankees slugger, however, is second in the AL in RBI at 47, just trailing Red Sox slugger Rafael Devers' 48. However, Judge winning the triple crown hasn't attracted nearly the same level of betting action at BetMGM as hitting .400. 'It's not even close,' Egeland said. 'I think it mostly has to do with the price. If you're going to place a bet and have it sit for the remainder of the MLB season, you're going to want a bigger payout than +135. But we haven't gotten much interest on the 'No' either, so I guess people don't love the edge in either direction. There's a lot of casual money for him to hit .400 or higher. If he's still hitting at or close to .400 late in the season, we're going to see even more action on it.' Advertisement Not surprisingly, Judge is also the massive favorite to win AL MVP at BetMGM. He was the +300 co-favorite with Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. ahead of the Yankees' season opener. It took Judge less than one week to become the -110 favorite and about five weeks to emerge as the sizable -1000 chalk for the award. He now sits at -3000 for AL MVP (~97 percent implied probability), with Witt Jr. second at +1400 and nobody else shorter than +9000. So, with Judge getting all of this love in futures markets, is he also the most popular player prop wager daily? Caesars lead baseball trader Eric Biggio told The Athletic that the only player that comes close to daily Judge's prop action is Shohei Ohtani. While Judge typically receives about 25 percent to 50 percent more bets on his props each day compared to Ohtani, it's at least three times the number of bets for any other player. The gap in betting popularity between Judge and Ohtani has only widened as the season continues to progress. 'In the first month of the season, it was as close as you could get for prop bets on Judge and Ohtani,' Egeland said. 'It was actually about 2 percent more on Ohtani compared to Judge. Since then, Judge has taken the top spot by quite a bit, with Ohtani the only one in striking distance — but even then, Judge has like a 20 percent edge on Ohtani. After that, there isn't anyone that's gotten even half the bets or handle of Judge player props in pretty much any offensive category.' (Photo of Aaron Judge: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
Associated Press
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
This Date in Baseball - Willie Mays goes hitless in his MLB debut
May 25 1906 — Jesse Tannehill's 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox snapped a 20-game losing streak — 19 at home — for the Boston Red Sox. 1935 — Babe Ruth, winding up his career with the Boston Braves, hit three homers and a single at Pittsburgh, but the Pirates won 11-7. Ruth connected once off Red Lucas and twice off Guy Bush. 1941 — Boston's Ted Williams raised his batting average over .400 for the first time during the season. Williams finished the season batting. 406. 1951 — Willie Mays, a highly touted rookie for the Giants, went 0-for-5 in his debut against the Philadelphia Phillies. 1982 — Ferguson Jenkins became the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in the Chicago Cubs' 2-1 loss at San Diego. Jenkins reached the milestone by striking out Garry Templeton in the third inning. 2001 — Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs allowed one hit and struck out 14 in a 1-0 win over the Brewers. Wood took a no-hit bid into the seventh before giving up a leadoff single to Mark Loretta. 2001 — Hideo Nomo of the Boston Red Sox tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 in a 4-0 win over Toronto. Nomo faced one batter over the minimum of 27, giving up a leadoff double in the fourth to Shannon Stewart. 2002 — Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers homered twice in a 10-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, setting a major league record with seven homers in his last three games. 2005 — The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, in 12 innings, as manager Tony La Russa wins his 823rd game with the Cardinals, passing Whitey Herzog for second place on the franchise list. La Russa is 218 victories behind Cardinals leader Red Schoendienst. 2009 — Jim Thome passes Mike Schmidt for 13th on the all-time home run list, as the White Sox thump the Angels, 17-3. 2009 — Cleveland rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the fourth as Victor Martinez's two-out, two-run single in the ninth capped a seven-run inning and lifted the Indians to an 11-10 victory over Tampa Bay. The Indians became the first team in the majors to win after trailing by 10 runs since the Texas Rangers rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 16-15 on May 8, 2004. 2011 — Andruw Jones hit a pair of two-run homers, Mark Teixeira also hit a two-run shot and Mariano Rivera made a milestone appearance in New York's 7-3 victory over Toronto. Rivera pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation, the 1,000th game he's played for the Yankees. The 11-time All-Star closer became the first player in major league history to reach the plateau for one team and the 15th to make it overall. Jones homered in the second inning and Teixeira in the third off Jo-Jo Reyes, who matched a major league record by making his 28th consecutive start without a win. 2011 — Infielder Wilson Valdez wound up as the winning pitcher when the Philadelphia Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast the Cincinnati Reds 5-4. Valdez threw a hitless 19th inning in his first professional pitching appearance. He became the first position player to become a winning pitcher since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne on Aug. 22, 2000. 2012 — Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam and tied his career high with eight RBIs, Josh Hamilton hit his 19th home run of the season and the Texas Rangers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 14-3. Cruz's grand slam came in the seventh inning and gave Texas a 14-1 lead. He also had a three-run double in the first and an RBI single in the sixth. 2013 — Angel Pagan became the first San Francisco player to end a game with an inside-the-park homer, connecting with a runner aboard in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Giants a 6-5 victory over Colorado. The last major leaguer to hit an inside-the-park home run that ended a game was Rey Sanchez for Tampa Bay on June 11, 2004 — also in a 10-inning victory over Colorado. 2014 — Josh Beckett of the Dodgers records the first no-hitter of the year by blanking the Phillies, 6-0. It is the first no-hitter by a Dodgers pitcher since Hideo Nomo pitched one in 1996, and the first nine-inning no-hitter by an opposing pitcher in Philadelphia since Bill Stoneman of the Montreal Expos back in 1969. 2019 — The Padres set a franchise record with 7 homers in a 19-4 win over the Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre. Wil Myers and Hunter Renfroe hit two each while Austin Hedges blasts a grand slam off Edwin Jackson. Cal Quantrill is the beneficiary of this power display as he records his first career victory a short distance from his hometown of Port Hope, ON, while another local boy, Josh Naylor from Mississauga, ON, collects his first three big league hits for the Padres in the game. 2021 — By working home plate in a game between the Cardinals and White Sox, Joe West sets a new career record with 5,376 games as an umpire, passing Bill Klem, whose last game was in 1941. 2022 — Anaheim City Council votes unanimously to cancel the sale of Angel Stadium and surrounding land to Los Angeles Angels owner Arte Moreno, following the resignation of Mayor Bill Sidhu on corruption charges a few days earlier. The $350 million sale had been agreed in December 2019 but not yet finalized, and was at the center of an FBI investigation that led to accusations that Sidhu had provided insider information to the team and in return demanded kickbacks in the form of campaign contributions. The city councillors are now no longer convinced that the proposed deal reflects the city's best interests, and are willing to risk a breach of contract lawsuit from Moreno in order to examine a potential deal again, starting from scratch. _____
Forbes
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Aaron Judge Somehow Just Keeps Getting Better
New York Yankees' Aaron Judge hits a ground-rule double during the first inning of a baseball game ... More against the New York Mets Sunday, May 18, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II) Aaron Judge has already reached the highest pinnacle of individual achievement as a baseball player, having completed two of the greatest seasons in baseball history. Now he's putting a stepladder on top of Mount Everest by somehow playing even better. If you name any important statistic for a baseball player, chances are Judge leads the league in it. He's hitting .396/.486/.743 this year—all of which are the best marks in MLB, as is his 3.8 WAR (Baseball-Reference version). He leads the league in hits (74), home runs (16), runs batted in (44), runs scored (45), and total bases (139), among other stats. His 245 OPS+ indicates his offensive output is a whopping 145% better than the league average. Let's contextualize his incredible numbers. His .396 batting average is the highest in a season since before baseball was integrated in 1947, and would be the best in the American or National Leagues since Ted Williams batted .406 in 1941. The only players who have topped his .486 on-base percentage since 1947 are Barry Bonds and Juan Soto, who did it in the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His .743 slugging percentage is the best by a right-handed hitter since Mark McGwire's .752 in 1998. Those numbers will likely come down as the season progresses. His batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is a ludicrous .472, and the all-time record is .423, set by Babe Ruth in 1923. This shows his otherworldly production probably isn't sustainable. Then again, we're used to seeing him accomplish the impossible. As of right now, Judge is on pace for 245 hits this year, including 53 home runs. The only player in the last 95 years with that many hits in a season was Ichiro Suzuki, who notched 262 in 2004, but with just eight home runs. Amassing as many hits as Judge while staying on pace for more than 50 home runs and over 100 walks is unprecedented—the most walks in a season by anyone with 245 hits or more was 76 by Lefty O'Doul in 1929. If Judge keeps this up, he's on pace to finish the year with 12.6 WAR. For context, he had 10.8 WAR when he blasted 62 home runs in 2022 and 10.8 again last year when he belted 58, and he won the American League MVP both times. The only player in history with three or more 10.8 WAR seasons is Ruth. Judge is already a member of an exclusive list with Ruth. They are two of the only five hitters in MLB history with three 50 homer seasons, along with Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, and Sammy Sosa. If he reaches that plateau again this year, he'll tie Rodriguez, Ruth, and Sosa for the record by hitting 50 four times. Ruth also holds the single-season record for total bases with 457 in 1921, and Judge is putting it in jeopardy. He is on pace for 460 this year after collecting a career-high 392 in 2024. One of the keys to Judge's unbelievable improvement has been his reduced strikeouts. He's fanning an average of once per game, and his strikeout rate of 22.1% is just shade above the MLB average of 21.9%—not bad for someone who struck out 208 times in his rookie year. It's worth noting that he's also accruing more value on defense than in recent years. After spending significant time in center field from 2021-2024, he's exclusively playing his natural position of right field this season. He has been a neutral defender this year with 0 Defensive Runs Saved, whereas he was worth -8 last year. Many players start to slow down in the year they turn 33, but not Aaron Judge. After having smashed so many records already, he's redefining what's possible in a batter's box.
Associated Press
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
This Date in Baseball - Andre Dawson sets an MLB record when he is intentionally walked five times
May 22 1933 — Joe Sewell of the New York Yankees struck out for the first time this season, during a 3-0 win over Cleveland. Sewell would strike out only three more times in 524 at-bats. 1942 — Ted Williams is sworn into the U.S. Navy, but will remain with the Red Sox until he is called for active duty. 1957 — The Boston Red Sox hit four home runs in the sixth inning of an 11-0 win over Cleveland. Gene Mauch, Ted Williams, Dick Gernert and Frank Malzone connected. All the homers came on the first 16 pitches from Cal McLish. 1958 — Ted Williams hits his 16th career grand slam to provide the Red Sox with the margin in an 8-5 win over the A's. Ted's 4th-inning blast, off Jack Urban, ties him with Babe Ruth for second place on the career slam list. 1959 — Baltimore's Hoyt Wilhelm pitched a one-hitter against the New York Yankees for a 5-0 win. Jerry Lumpe's single in the eighth spoiled the no-hit bid. 1963 — Mickey Mantle hit a pitch from Kansas City's Bill Fischer off the right-field facade at Yankee Stadium in an 8-7 victory over the A's. 1968 — Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates hit three home runs, a double and a single in a 13-6 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Stargell's double just missed going out, as it bounced off the railing of the left-field bleachers. 1976 — St. Louis' Reggie Smith hit three home runs — two right-handed and one left-handed — and drove in five runs in a 7-6 win over the Philadelphia Phillies. Smith's third homer came with two outs in the ninth and broke a 6-6 tie. 1977 — Boston and Milwaukee hit a combined 11 home runs in a 14-10 Red Sox victory at Fenway Park, tying a major league record. The Red Sox connected for six and the Brewers hit five in the first game of a doubleheader. 1983 — Cliff Johnson of the Toronto Blue Jays hit his 18th career pinch homer. The homer, off Baltimore's Tippy Martinez, tied Johnson with Jerry Lynch on the career pinch home run list. 1990 — Andre Dawson sets a major-league record when he is intentionally walked five times during a 16-inning, 2-1 Cubs win over the Reds. 1998 — The Mets acquire catcher Mike Piazza from the Marlins in exchange for OF Preston Wilson, P Ed Yarnall and a player to be named. Piazza has barely spent a week with Florida, following a trade from the Dodgers. 1998 — Brian Cox went 6-for-6, including a grand slam in a 10-run third inning, as Florida State rolled past Delaware 27-6 in the NCAA Atlantic II Regional. Freshman Matt Diaz hit three home runs for the Seminoles. 2000 — Milwaukee beat Houston in the first game of a doubleheader, 10-9, coming back from a 9-2 deficit to tie the score with seven runs in the bottom half of the ninth inning. The Brewers won the game in the 10th on a home run by Jose Hernandez. 2001 — The Twins score 8 runs in the 3rd inning to give Brad Radke an 8 - 0 lead, then hold on to edge the Mariners, 12-11. The M's will use the momentum to win their next 15 and set a franchise record. 2008 — Ken Griffey Jr. hits his 200th home run as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He becomes the fourth player in major league history to hit 300 for one team and 200 with another. Preceding him are Mark McGwire, Rafael Palmeiro and Jimmie Foxx. 2008 — Boston's J.D. Drew and Mike Lowell hit grand slams to help Daisuke Matsuzaka remain unbeaten as the Red Sox posted an 11-8 win over the Kansas City Royals. 2009 — Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle and matched his career high with five RBIs as Minnesota defeated Milwaukee 11-3. Cuddyer hit a three-run homer in the first inning, doubled in the third and singled in the fourth before completing the cycle by tripling on a broken-bat liner into the left-field corner in the sixth. 2012 — C.J. Wilson and Ernesto Frieri combined on a one-hitter to give the Los Angeles Angels a 4-0 win over Oakland. Cliff Pennington had the only hit — a one-out single in the fifth — for Oakland. _____
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McKim & Creed Announces Intent to Acquire Landmark Science & Engineering to Expand Mid-Atlantic Presence
Planned Acquisition Aims to Strengthen Engineering and Surveying Resources in Delaware and Maryland RALEIGH, N.C., May 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- McKim & Creed, a leading engineering, planning and geospatial services firm, announced today its intent to acquire Landmark Science & Engineering, based in Newark, Del. The acquisition is expected to close on May 25, 2025, and is anticipated to strengthen McKim & Creed's presence in the Mid-Atlantic region while expanding the services available to Landmark's clients. Founded in 1987, Landmark Science & Engineering is a respected consulting firm specializing in civil engineering, surveying, and natural environmental sciences. The company provides innovative site solutions and value-engineered results to both public- and private-sector clients involved in land development and building improvement projects. "This acquisition represents a significant step in our growth journey," said Street Lee, McKim & Creed's Chief Executive Officer. "By joining forces, we will be positioned to serve clients across Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Maryland with the same commitment to quality, innovation, and care, while delivering enhanced resources, expertise, and technology-driven solutions to Landmark's clients." Landmark's notable projects include: Avenue North, a 1,864,000-square-foot mixed-use development in North Wilmington, Del., for Delle Donne Associates. Landmark provided all aspects of civil engineering along with traffic analysis. Appoquinimink School District Fairview Campus, a K-12 public school campus serving approximately 4,000 students. Landmark provided all aspects of civil engineering along with athletic field design, Traffic Impact Study, off-site road improvements and site construction review. Wilmington Flats, an affordable housing redevelopment in Wilmington, Del., for approximately 400 units across 10 city blocks by Woodlawn Trustees. Landmark provided all civil engineering including subsurface stormwater management and site construction review. Meridian Crossing 1 & 2, a 700-unit residential community consisting of single-family homes, town houses and apartments. Landmark provided all civil engineering, roadway designs stormwater management, Traffic Impact Study and sanitary sewer pump station design for Reybold Development. "Partnering with McKim & Creed is a natural fit for our team," said Ted Williams, President and Chairman of the Board at Landmark Science & Engineering. "Our cultures align perfectly—we both prioritize people first. Our services complement each other, enabling us to offer even more comprehensive and impactful solutions to our clients. We are excited about this next chapter and confident in the value we can create together." Both companies will collaborate closely in the coming weeks to ensure a smooth and seamless transition for clients, employees, and business partners. About McKim & Creed: McKim & Creed is an award-winning, employee-owned civil engineering firm with more than 900 employees operating in North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. McKim & Creed specializes in services for the energy, transportation, federal, land development, water and building markets, including survey and mapping; airborne and mobile lidar/scanning; unmanned aerial systems (UAS); subsurface utility engineering (SUE); and hydrographic and conventional surveying; water and wastewater, MEP, fire protection and structural engineering; and industrial design-build. For more information about McKim & Creed, visit About Landmark Science & Engineering: Landmark Science & Engineering is a leading consulting firm offering professional services to public and private clients in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania with a commitment to providing the highest quality land planning and site design, with a comprehensive focus on low-impact, green technology stormwater practices, and a dedication to responsive service. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE McKim & Creed Sign in to access your portfolio
