Aaron Judge vs Shohei Ohtani: Who will triumph in the American League MVP race in 2022
Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels are currently making their case for the 2022 AL MVP. We are now midway through the MLB season, and now we are starting to get an idea of who the top players in the league are.
Talks of MVP races in both leagues are starting to get hot. Many players are making their cases as to why they can be this year's Most Valuable Player.
Things are starting to get interesting in the American League. Many stars could win the AL MVP. Although there are a handful of stars who are putting up some crazy numbers this season, Judge and Ohtani are on another level.
The AL MVP race is heating up.
Who are you picking right now? https://t.co/ujerQ41h6r
"The AL MVP race is heating up. Who are you picking right now?" - MLB
Judge is currently having a season for the history books on a historic New York Yankees team. Ohtani is a unicorn as he is putting up outstanding numbers at the plate, and is having a Cy Young-caliber season on the mound. However, there is just one American League MVP award, and one of these two will be left out.
The question is, who will win the AL MVP award for the 2022 MLB season, Judge or Ohtani?
Aaron Judge is having a historic season in New York
Aaron Judge is currently having one of the best offensive seasons the MLB has seen in recent history. The outfielder is currently batting .286, slugging an insane .627, totaling up to a .988 OPS. The craziest aspect of his numbers is that he already has 29 home runs in just 75 games played this season. He is currently on pace to hit 60 home runs. He would be first player to do so since the steroid era.
AARON JUDGE WALKOFF 3 RUN HOME RUN! HE WALKS OFF HOUSTON TWICE IN ONE SERIES! https://t.co/hH1wxsE3Co
"AARON JUDGE WALKOFF 3 RUN HOME RUN! HE WALKS OFF HOUSTON TWICE IN ONE SERIES!" - Talkin' Yanks
Aaron Judge is also on the best team in baseball this season. The New York Yankees are 56-21 on the year, which is the best record in the MLB by far. They have been the only team to reach 50 wins on the year so far, and they do not appear to be slowing down. If they keep this up, only success will come for the Yankees this season.
Shohei Ohtani is the most unique player baseball has ever seen
Since entering the league back in 2018, Shohei Ohtani has truly been a magical player. Shohei Ohtani's 2021 season, where he won the AL MVP, was historic. He was the first player to start both on the mound and in the lineup in the All-Star Game. He also had 46 home runs on the year while having a 3.13 ERA on the mound.
There's no one hotter on the planet than Shohei Ohtani. 🔥 https://t.co/nrfY7BY4uX
"There's no one hotter on the planet than Shohei Ohtani." - MLB
This season, Shohei Ohtani has been spectacular for the Los Angeles Angels. At the plate, he is currently batting .265, with 17 home runs and 15 doubles. However, Ohtani is having a dominant season on the mound, going 7-4 with just a 2.68 ERA, and 104 strikeouts in only 74 innings pitched. Having these good of numbers on both sides of the field will definitely put you in MVP contention.
Who is going to win the 2022 AL MVP?
This is going to be a tough one, especially because there is still more than half the season left to play out. Although Ohtani is putting up some impeccable numbers, Judge is just too good not to get the award this season. Also, Ohtani just won the MVP last season, so there will be some voter fatigue.
On top of all this, Aaron Judge is currently on the best team in baseball. Shohei Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels sit in third place in the AL West, and look like they are going to miss the playoffs. There are still a lot of games to be played, but as of now Aaron Judge is the frontrunner to win AL MVP this season.