A Port Chester 20-Year-Old Caught That Aaron Judge 60th Home Run Ball

PORT CHESTER, NY — A former Port Chester High School standout is now part of baseball history, after a last-minute decision to attend a Pirates-Yankees game this week.

Michael Kessler, 20, of Port Chester, caught the 60th home run ball of Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge during the ninth inning of the team's Tuesday game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kessler called it a spur-of-the-moment decision to attend.

Kessler played baseball for Port Chester High School and is now on the team at City College of New York, where he's a business administration and management major.

The ball he caught was predicted to sell for up to half a million dollars. However, Kessler chose to give it to Judge.

"It’s been a whirlwind," Kessler told MLB.com. "We were standing on top of the bleachers and then went down for his at-bat. We were jumping up and down because I knew it was a home run. It hit the top of the bleachers and then bounced toward our section. I just went to grab it and bear hugged it."

After returning the ball, Kessler got to meet Judge, take a photo with him, get a signed bat and four balls, and game tickets.

"Judge means so much to the organization, especially this year," Kessler told MLB.com. "He’s just unbelievable. Just the way he is, he deserved to have the ball back. I have no second thoughts."

Judge's 60th home run is tied with Babe Ruth's in 1927. He's a home run away from tying Roger Maris' American League single-season home run record.