New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge continues to prove his worth ahead of a mammoth extension this winter, whether it's in the Bronx or elsewhere. On Friday night, the All-Star slugged his 40th home run of the season, taking the Kris Bubic offering 449 feet. In the process, he became the first player since 2001 to reach the 40-homer mark when Barry Bonds and Luis Gonzalez did so.

Via ESPN Stats & Info:

Some pretty impressive company for Aaron Judge. As we know, Bonds went on to go deep 73 times that season. Who knows, maybe the Yankees star can get there too. Judge has been on fire lately, slugging six bombs in his last seven games. He's now hitting .293 on the year and looks to be a surefire lock for American League MVP.

Aside from the record previously mentioned, Judge also became the third Yankee ever to reach 40 home runs before the end of July, joining two legends in Babe Ruth and Roger Maris. Via Bryan Hoch:

Aaron Judge's legacy just keeps growing. The burning question remains though, will he stay in New York? The former Fresno State standout has made it clear he'd love to play in the pinstripes for the rest of his career, but there is no question he's going to have just about every team calling this offseason. After all, we're talking about arguably the best power hitter in the big leagues.

We'll see what happens. But, there is no doubt Judge will be a massive part of the Yanks' hopeful run to a World Series. They currently have the best record in baseball at 67-33.