With the World Series trophy returning to Houston after the Astros topped the Philadelphia Phillies, next up on the docket is award season, and the race for the American League MVP is a tight one.
We asked two of our writers who they think should join the likes of Mike Trout and Alex Rodriguez in winning the coveted trophy.
All rise for the honorable Aaron Judge
By Caden Sexton
It took 61 years for someone to break the American League home run record, and it came from a man putting up video game stats. New York Yankees star Aaron Judge had the most complete hitting season we’ve seen since Miguel Cabrera’s 2012 Triple Crown a decade ago. So, how can anyone justifiably argue against the AL’s top slugger?
Judge led the American League in home runs, RBIs, runs, on base percentage, slugging percentage, on base slugging and walks. If that won’t convince you of how deadly of a hitter he was this past season, consider that he was second in intentional walks, second in batting average and fifth in hits.
Not only did Judge have an immaculate hitting season, but he also had the best defensive year of his career, finishing in the 82nd percentile in outs above average. In addition, Judge even made the shift from right field to center, going from arguably the easiest spot in the outfield to the hardest.
Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani is another finalist for the award after winning it a season ago. Let’s be clear, the ability to pitch and hit at this level is unbelievable, but should it garner an MVP award every year just because he can do both? If that’s your argument for Ohtani winning, that means that as long as he continues to start on the mound and in the box, the award should be his until he retires no matter what any other player does on any other A.L. team. Doesn’t seem fair, does it?
Frankly, justification for Ohtani winning the award is nonexistent. Judge wins every hitting stat over Ohtani other than strikeouts, where Ohtani had 161 and Judge had 175. This number is skewed of course, as Judge was continuously pitched around towards the end of the season, so the outfielder had to swing at something to give his team a chance.
Ohtani’s pitching stats were good, but not outstanding. He went 15-9 with a solid 2.33 ERA. That number is respectable, but the two-way player was not as successful with a bat in his hands. Judge even boasts a 10.6 WAR compared to Ohtani’s 9.6. Keep in mind that WAR doesn’t differentiate between pitchers and hitters, so the versatile stat can help point out Judge’s deservedness even more.
One quick reminder: it’s the most valuable player award. The Yankees were dominant in the first half but went through a rut in the second half. The only player to lead and lift them up was Judge. The Angels, on the other hand, went 73-89 with Mike Trout also on the roster. The Yankees finished 99-63, so wasn’t Judge more valuable for his team?
Being a two-way player is something unheard of since 1930 when it seemed like every player did it. Don’t be fooled by the flexibility of Ohtani; Judge was dominant, and the numbers don’t lie.
Two-way all day
By Latif Love
For the second year in a row, Shohei Ohtani finds himself in competition for the American League’s Most Valuable Player. Ohtani is seen by many as second in the race behind Aaron Judge after Judge’s historic 62-home run season. I disagree.
Shohei Ohtani should repeat as AL MVP because he is baseball’s most valuable player. In my lifetime, I’ve never seen a player able to impact a game in the way Ohtani does. Ohtani has grown into one of the best hitters and pitchers in the MLB.
Ohtani arguably had a better season in 2022 than he had in 2021. In his 2021 MVP season, Ohtani had 46 home runs, a .257 batting average and 100 RBIs. This past season, his numbers were down, but he was much more efficient at the plate, batting .268 with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs.
In addition to improvements in the box, Ohtani was a much better pitcher than his MVP season. This season, he had a 2.33 ERA compared to a 3.18 ERA in 2021. He also improved his strikeout numbers from 156 in 2021 to 219 in 2022.
Aaron Judge also has a strong case for AL MVP. Judge broke the record for the most homers in AL single-season history with 62. He also led the Yankees to the playoffs when Ohtani could not do the same for the Angels.
Although the Angels finished 73-89 this past season, Ohtani was 15-9 when he was on the mound, proving to be a key piece on an otherwise mediocre team. Ohtani is also more versatile than Judge. He finished top 10 in both hitting and pitching according to MLB.com, something he did not accomplish in his previous MVP season.
Aaron Judge can hit as many home runs as he desires, but he still won’t be as versatile and valuable as Shohei Ohtani.
