Aaron Judge & Shohei Ohtani surpass "once-in-a-generation" status, says Red Sox Hall of Famer
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani have redefined powerhitting in the past few seasons. While the debate of whose 2024 season is better is still on, a Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer provided an interesting take on the two superstars.
Speaking to Jeff Blair and Kevin Barker on Wednesday's episode of Sportsnet's "Blair & Barker" podcast on YouTube, legendary Red Sox play-by-play commentator Joe Castiglione praised Ohtani and Judge [37:24]:
"He's [Aaron Jugde] certainly very rare for what he does at his size, and he can play center field. Now, he can throw. I mean, he's really a five-tool player. The power is awesome to watch.
"A mishit ball goes out of the park, which is just amazing, and it's not only at the short porch in right field at Yankee Stadium. He hits in the clutch. I mean, he's such a menacing figure at the plate."
Despite immense criticism directed at Aaron Judge being not clutch, Castiglione disagreed, mentioning the grand slam the Yankees captain hit against Red Sox's Cam Booser. The homer was Judge's 52nd of the season and it ended his two-week drought. Judge is currently at 57 home runs.
The Red Sox Hall of Famer then gave the ultimate compliment to the 2022 AL MVP and Shohei Ohtani (38:04):
"He [Judge] and [Shohei] Ohtani both - this is a special age for great, great players, the likes of whom come along maybe not even once [in] a generation."
Castiglione recently retired from his broadcasting duties and will now be a part of the team in an ambassador role. He is also a recipient of the Ford C. Frick Award, and as such, his words hold value.
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani impress in recent outing
Aaron Judge hit his 57th homer, while Shohei Ohtani stole a base for the 56th time against the Orioles and Padres, respectively. Unfortunately for Judge, it was not enough as the Yankees lost 9-7. Juan Soto also hit a home run in the loss.
On the other hand, Ohtani's Dodgers defeated the Padres 4-3 in a tightly contested affair. With the victory, the Dodgers extended their lead over the Padres in the NL West, inching closer to the division title.
Aaron Judge extended his home run lead over Ohtani to four. With a handful of games left in the season, the Japanese superstar's chances of overtaking the Yankee captain are fading. However, the Dodgers' final series is against the Rockies, one of the weakest teams in the current season. so anything is possible.