Aaron Judge ends a home run draught and connects on his 61st long ball, tying Roger Maris for the American League single-season record.

TORONTO -- New York Yankees star Aaron Judge hit his 61st home run of the season Wednesday night against the Toronto Blue Jays, tying Roger Maris' American League record.

1, the final game of the 1961 season, to hit his 61st, which broke Babe Ruth's single-season mark of 60 home runs set in 1927.

"It's an incredible honor, getting a chance to be associated with one of the Yankee greats, one of baseball's greats, words can't describe it," Judge said.

"That's one thing so special about the Yankees organization, is all the guys that came before us and kind of paved the way and played the game the right way, did things the right way, did a lot of great things in this game and getting a chance to be mentioned with those guys now is, I can't even describe it, it's an incredible honor that's for sure.".

Home plate umpire Brian O'Nora, after the game, congratulated Judge just outside the Yankees dugout, and handed him the official lineup card from the night.

So, you never really know if it was going to get out or, so, I tried to sprint around the bases a little bit then once it got over the fence, just relief that now we're leading the game," Judge said.

Of the previous seven instances in which a player hit 61 home runs, four had reached that mark the next game after hitting 60 and none went more than three games to reach the milestone.

And now, the only players in MLB history with more home runs in a season are Barry Bonds (73), Mark McGwire (70, 65) and Sammy Sosa (66, 64, 63) -- all of whom accomplished theirs during the steroid era (1998 to 2001).

"I don't think it's going to take very long," he said.

He plays the game the right way," Maris Jr.

At one point, Judge's torrid home run pace matched that of Bonds' 2001 record-setting season, but with less than two weeks left of games, it will take a formidable surge for him now to approach that mark.

Bonds, for his part, said over the weekend that he could see Judge going on a home run streak after connecting on his 61st.

Judge was a big reason for the crown, and it's been more than just home runs