Is Aaron Judge the home run king in the eyes of the next generation of players?

For 61 years, the American League record for most home runs in a single season remained untouched. But on Tuesday night, the baseball world watched as Aaron Judge clobbered his 62nd home run of the year, eclipsing Roger Maris’s long-standing milestone of 61.

The New York Yankees slugger drove a slider into the left field seats to open up the first inning of play in the second game of a doubleheader in front of a record crowd at Globe Life Field. After a season that saw Judge passing Yankees milestones like billboards on a highway, this officially puts a bow on the entire thing.

Judge became the first player in the post-steroid era to enter such an exclusive stratosphere of MLB greats. Some have already taken to calling him the “true home run king” in reference to the fact that the only players to hit more than 62 homers in a season were all on performance-enhancing drugs at the time. It’s because of this fact that many, at least until Tuesday, viewed Maris’ American League record of 61 as the clean, untainted MLB record. Among those already crowning Judge home run king include Maris’ own son, Robert Maris Jr.

When asked what he believes the true all-time home run record is, Judge himself told Sports Illustrated: “73, in my book. No matter what people want to say about what happened in that era of baseball, for me, they went out there and hit 73 homers and 70 homers and that’s for me what the record is.”

But what about the younger generation of baseball players? After all, these are the stars of tomorrow. What are their overall thoughts on Judge’s historic season? And does it put him over guys like Barry Bonds (73 home runs) or former USC Trojan Mark McGwire (70 home runs)?

“It’s so good for the sport,” said Ryan Costeiu, currently the 29th-ranked prospect for the Los Angeles Angels. “Baseball needs things like this to keep people entertained… Obviously it’s not the all time record but pitchers are so much better now than McGwire or Sosa ever hit off of.”

Costeiu, a pitcher himself, said he still views Bonds as the home run king, but that Judge is right there with him, above Sosa and McGwire in his book. This isn’t an unpopular opinion.

“I think the crown still belongs to Bonds,” said Gunner Mayer, a prospect for the Philadelphia Phillies. “I wouldn’t say Judge can’t get there, but he’s also still new in the game.”

Judge’s home run ball was caught by Texas Rangers fan Corey Youmans, who is yet undecided on what to ultimately do with it. It has been reported that Youmans already has a $2 million offer on the table from JP Cohen, president of Memory Lane Auctions in Tustin, California. The most expensive home run ball ever sold was hit by McGwire when he smacked his then-National League record 70th home run in 1998. The ball sold for $3 million in 1999.