Aaron Judge, making baseballs fear him one blast at a time, crushed his 40th home run of the season Friday, a monstrous 477-foot shot, becoming the first MLB player to reach this milestone in 2023.

It's safe to say that Aaron Judge and his bat are on a mission to traumatize pitchers across the league. With his 40th home run, a 477-foot spectacle, the Yankees' slugger also drove in his 100th and 101st runs of the season. Judge's crushing home run off Kevin Gausman isn't just a footnote—it's a proclamation that he's gunning for even more accolades, even if the Blue Jays still managed to win the game 8-5. One thing is clear: Judge's power surge is as relentless as his contract, and he's on pace for another historic season.

The jaw-dropping homer, launched off Toronto Blue Jays' pitcher Kevin Gausman, was the second-longest home run in the majors this season, narrowly missing Jorge Soler's 478-foot blast. It also ranks as the third-longest home run in Judge's already illustrious career. There must be something in the air, or perhaps the ball has simply begun to fear him.

To put this feat into context, Judge's towering blast came just six days after he sent another ball soaring 470 feet at Fenway Park. The man has clearly developed a taste for sending souvenirs to the farthest reaches of baseball stadiums. Maybe he's gunning for the role of the MLB's unofficial orbital satellite launcher.

Judge's dominance at the plate since May 3 has been nothing short of spectacular. Over this period, he has batted an incredible .377, belted 34 home runs, and achieved an other-worldly 1.338 OPS. No wonder pitchers around the league have been seen shaking their heads and muttering under their breath.

Despite Judge's Herculean efforts, the game didn't go the Yankees' way, as the Blue Jays walked away with an 8-5 victory. While the Yankees might not have clinched this one, Judge has certainly given fans—and statisticians—plenty to talk about. He's on pace for 58 home runs this season, which, while impressive, still falls slightly short of his record 62 home runs from two seasons ago.

But wait, there's more! Since May 5, his 162-game pace would translate to a mind-boggling 72 home runs. If this trend continues, baseball might need to reconsider the dimensions of its parks or at least fortify the outer walls.

He's already joined the hallowed company of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle, becoming one of the few Yankees to have three or more 40-homer seasons. In an era of advanced metrics and sabermetrics, that's a statistic that even the most number-averse fans can appreciate.

A deeper dive into his stats reveals an even more astonishing picture. If Judge maintains his current performance, his 1.144 OPS would be the highest by any MLB hitter in a season (playing 100 or more games) since Barry Bonds' 2004 campaign. That's right, Judge might just be leaving a mark that echoes through the annals of baseball history.

Aaron Judge's immense contribution can't be understated, especially when considering his nine-year, $360 million contract. While some might gripe about big contracts in sports, Judge seems determined to earn every single penny by launching baseballs into orbit.

The question isn’t so much 'if' but 'how many?' It's like Judge is playing his own game of ‘How Far Can You Hit It?’