This week, MLB fans everywhere were treated when AL MVP favorites Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani faced off against each other in Los Angeles.
In the first matchup between the Los Angeles Angels and New York Yankees on Monday night, both Judge and Ohtani went deep in the Angels’ 4-3 victory over the Yankees. And on Tuesday, Judge hit his MLB-leading 51st home run of the season, while Ohtani added two hits in the Yankees 7-3 win.
As it stands, Aaron Judge is the heavy favorite to take home the AL MVP over Shohei Ohtani
Aaron Judge Pulls Ahead of Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP Race
Per DraftKings, Judge is now a whopping -1000 to win the AL MVP Award, with Shohei Ohtani coming in a a sizable underdog at +550.
But that isn’t to say there’s no argument centered around Ohtani.
First of all, we have never seen an athlete like Ohtani in the history of the MLB (yes, including Babe Ruth). So far, he’s batting .269 with 29 home runs and 79 RBIs. He’s also solidified himself as the Angels ace — with an 11-8 record to go along with a 2.67 ERA.
Actually, Ohtani’s stats compare favorably to his 2021 MVP season, when he hit .257 with 46 home runs and 100 RBIs and pitched to a 9-2 record with a 3.18 ERA.
But as has been the case with Mike Trout throughout his illustrious career, the Angels are now holding Ohtani back, and now he’ll have to face the repercussions of playing for a lowly franchise.
With Aaron Judge on pace to break the AL home run record on a first-place team, he will win the MVP Award this season. But it’s hard to say he’s more “valuable” than Shohei Ohtani.
He just happens to play for the better team … for now.
