Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been teammates with the New York Yankees for only a couple of months, and already they have hinted at the possibility that they could hit themselves into a class with Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

I am not speculating here, nor am I making some wild guess or even projection. Stanton and Judge have demonstrated on a regular basis that they can strike out often enough to match the Ruth-Gehrig feat of 1927.

In that memorable season Ruth hit 60 home runs, a number that will retain its singular fame despite Roger Maris’ legitimate 61 and Barry Bond’s illegitimate number whatever it was.

But in 1927 Ruth also struck out a league-leading 89 times. His teammate Gehrig struck out 84 times, making them the first teammates to finish first and second in strikeouts since official records were kept starting in 1920.

Elias Sports Bureau records show that finish has occurred only four times since Ruth-Gehrig:

• Hack Wilson (84) and Woody English (72), Chicago Cubs, 1930
• Eddie Mathews (118) and Sam Jethroe (116), Boston Braves, 1952
• Dick Allen (150) and Dick Stuart (136), Philadelphia Phillies, 1965
• Ryan Howard (190) and Marlon Byrd (185), Philadelphia Phillies, 2014

In the first month of this season Stanton and Judge staked their claim to join that select group, running – or striking out – one-two on the statistical listing of league leaders. But then they began making contact more often, and at the same time Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers was picking up his pace, striking out more frequently.

Gallo, the outfielder-first baseman, playing his first full major league season last year, struck out 196 times in 145 games (1.35 a game average). Going into Sunday’s schedule, Gallo had struck out a league-high 76 times in 52 games, including 47 in the last 27 games, which computes to 1.74 strikeouts per game. The Rangers aren’t getting much offense with that kind of ratio.

At the rapid rate Gallo has struck out recently, he would have to suffer a disabling injury for Judge and Stanton to have a chance at finishing 1-2 in the American League strikeout race.

But let’s get back to Ruth and Gehrig. In 1927 Ruth led the American League with 89 strikeouts, 5 more than teammate Gehrig’s 84.

At that time, it wasn’t very likely that anyone gave Ruth’s 89 strikeouts a second thought. At the same time he was striking out 89 times, Ruth was hitting an astronomical 60 home runs that season, and the number, 60, not 89, was to become the most famous number in all sports.

Strikeouts, of course, have exploded since Ruth’s time, and no one seems to mind. I mind, but I’m from an era where strikeouts were frowned on. If a player didn’t get a hit, he was at least supposed to advance a baserunner. A strikeout doesn’t do that.

Despite their penchant for striking out, Stanton and Judge should be recognized as legitimately good hitters and run producers.

It’s debatable whether Stanton should have won the National League most valuable player award last year even though his Miami team wasn’t in playoff contention. But if not for Stanton, maybe the Marlins would have finished in a shark tank instead of 20 games from first place in the N.L. East.

Judge is playing this season as if he doesn’t know he is supposed to be affected by the so-called “sophomore jinx.” Maybe he played so well last year that he skipped his sophomore season. On the other hand, I haven’t heard mention of the sophomore jinx in recent years.

Judge, in fact, seems to be playing better than he did as a rookie. For example, he threw out two runners in the same game last week, one at home, one at second., one at home, the other at second.

But wait. There’s more competition for Stanton and Judge. Texas has a 34-year-old catcher, Robinson Chirinos, who has demonstrated an impressive knack for striking out.

With 63 strikeouts, Chirinos is sixth in the American League and in position to join Gallo as the fifth 1-2 teammate strikeout combo.

With Texas in last place in the AL West the strikeout race might be the only reason to watch the Rangers.