As August’s dog days cast a shadow over the other contenders, the AL MVP race is down to Yankees star Aaron Judge and two-way Venom Angels Shohei Ohtani.
For a while, it looked like Houston Astros’ Jordan Alvarez would give Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani a run for their money in the AL MVP race, but August happened and Alvarez slipped to a slash point of .230/.315/.311 with a. He ran one home and 9 RBI in the 61st at bat during this month.
Judge slowed down a bit too, but still cut .281/.446/.578 with 5 homeowners and 12 RBI in August, making his season total of 0.295/.393/.658 with 47 home points and 103 RBI through the first 123 games for the Yankees.
Judge’s closest competition comes from two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, a favorite of many in the baseball media, especially those in love with a double-duty aspect not seen since Babe Ruth led the Major League with 11 home runs while also winning 13 games as a boat for 1918. Boston Red Sox.
Ohtani certainly did well and was hot in August, hitting .313 with five home runs and 10 RBI for the first 22 days of the month, giving him 27 home runs, 72 RBI and .264/.357/.515 slashes in the season.
Adding to the plot, Ohtani’s 10 karami wins, 143 ERA+, 12.4 hits in 9 runs, 33.9% strike rate (top 4% in the league) and 3.7 karmi WAR, which when added to his 2.6 hits put him at 6.3 overall.
Judge, meanwhile, not only crushes baseballs, but plays on the field well enough to score above-average teams in the 83rd percentile, while dividing time between midfield and his 96 field starts.
Ohtani’s double stint is extremely rare and he must watch TV, whether it’s throwing or hitting the ball, but through no fault of his own, he’s been playing for an out-of-competition team since mid-May.
Judge on the other hand has New York weight right on his shoulders and was the main gear in the Yankees’ sharp start, with some questioning the Mariners’ 116 AL regular season win by the record for a hot minute.
The Yankees squabble and find it hard to make it to the tracks, but the judge did his part and New York still topped what was believed to be a competitive East End with 8 games.
AL MVP Race: Aaron Judge has a slight edge over Shohei Ohtani
Ohtani’s unique gifts and contributions to the game, along with his charisma and international stardom, should not be overlooked. Instead, they should be celebrated and they are important for the game to remain vibrant, gain younger fans and expand international reach.
However, these gifts and Otani’s performance this season should not be confused with her being the best player in the MLS, as this is an award that will be the property of the judge. One look at the MLS stats leaderboard makes it crystal clear.
Judge Leading the American League In War (7.2), Home Drills (47), Total Bases (292), RBI (103), Win Probability Added (4.6), Slowdown (658), Bases on Balls (Tie 69), OPS + (196), OPS (1.050), additional base hits (67), hits on base (205), plus a bunch of less-quoted stats.
Nobody can anticipate tomorrow, let alone next month of baseball, but at his current pace, Judge plans to have 62 home races, 136 RBI and 9.5 WAR.
Ohtani is a uniquely talented baseball player, but Judge is not only the captain of the #1 New York Yankees, but the 2022 AL MVP MVP. The stats don’t lie.
