Finally. There will be no one ahead of Aaron Judge now, at least when it comes to anyone wearing pinstripes or playing baseball in the American League. That rendezvous with history was assured on Tuesday night as the Yankee slugger lofted his 61st home run of the season, matching the mark set by Roger Maris in 1961.

Breaking a streak of seven games without a home run — a dry spell in a season that many believe ranks with the most prolific ever assembled — Mr. Judge hit the historic blast off of a Toronto reliever, Timothy “Tim” Mayza, in a game knotted 3-3 in the seventh inning. The Yankees would go on to win 8-3.

Mr. Judge’s mother and Maris’s son were in attendance for the seminal swat. The swing resembled so many of his others, an unleashing of easy power that sent the ball over the fence in left field. Mr. Mayza flung his arm in a gesture of frustration that will be preserved forever, and Mr. Judge rounded the bases.

Upon reaching his teammates, Mr. Judge was greeted by a standing ovation. Bearing markings to signify its historic nature, the home-run ball traveled 394 feet, barely eluding the mitts of a pair of Blue Jays fans and landing in the team’s bullpen. Reports are that it subsequently made its way back to Mr. Judge.

The home run, after a string of 31 at bats, each one greeted with  broad and breathless anticipation, was but the highest profile long ball in a season that is shaping up as one for the ages. As of this writing, Mr. Judge leads the Junior Circuit in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in, putting him in pole position for the hallowed Triple Crown.       

In a postgame news conference, Mr. Judge reflected: “Getting a chance to be associated with one of the Yankee greats, you know, one of baseball’s greats and being enshrined with him forever — words can’t describe it.” While many fans judge San Francisco great Barry Bonds’s single season mark of 73 dingers to be tainted, Mr. Judge acknowledged, “That’s the record.”

Admitting that reaching the milestone took “a little longer than I wanted,” Mr. Judge now has seven games remaining to hit no. 62 and stand alone in Yankee, and American League, history. When asked if he felt the pressure of the chase — Maris’s hair fell out from the stress of attempting to top Babe Ruth’s mark of 60 home runs — Mr. Judge replied, “I’m playing a kid’s game.”

For his part, Roger Maris Jr. was sanguine regarding Mr. Judge’s chances of surpassing his father, potentially as early as Friday evening. Reached after the game for comment, he predicted, “I don’t think it’s going to take very long,” adding, “you can tell that he’s back, and he’s ready to go now.”