Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the two biggest names in the MLB right now. Since 2021, they have been fierce rivals in baseball. In 2021, the two-way superstar shocked the world with his epic hitting and elite pitching stats. He deservingly won the American League Most Valued Player award. Next year, the Japanese sensation continued his fine form playing for the Los Angeles Angels. Again, he could have won the MVP award for the second time in a row. But the California Native had an epic season with the bat in 2022. Moreover, Aaron Judge broke the single-season home run record in the AL that previously belonged to the New York Yankees legend Roger Maris.
He surpassed Roger’s 61 homers and got to 62 that year. As a result, the Yankees captain eventually won the AL MVP award in 2022. He signed a record free agency contract with the Pinstripes for a nine-year deal worth $360 million. But in 2023, Shohei Ohtani broke that free agency record as he signed a massive 10-year deal worth $700 million with the LA Dodgers. Moreover, the Unicorn also won the AL MVP for the second time last year. Again, in 2024, Judge and Ohtani are top contenders for MVP awards.
In AL And NL, Aaron Judge And Shohei Ohtani Are Way Ahead In The MVP Race, Respectively
This year, Shohei Ohtani made his National League debut as he started his journey with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Quite possibly, for the next ten years, he will wear the blue jersey. After all, the LA side made him sign the biggest free-agent deal in the history of North American sports. Albeit, he is not able to pitch in 2024 due to Tommy John surgery that he had at the end of the 2023 season. Nonetheless, the Japanese sensation has taken the NL by storm, as he is a clear favorite to win the MVP again this year. He might win it in his first year in the National League. As per BETMGM, the Designated Hitter of the Dodgers has -3000 odds to win the 2024 NL MVP.
Unless Ohtani gets injured or something, other contenders like Marcell Ozuna (+2200) won’t be able to beat him. On the other hand, as per BETMGM, Aaron Judge has a -1400 odds to win the 2024 AL MVP. He leads the league in several offensive categories, including the most home run list. The only way Judge can lose out in the MVP race this season is if the Yankees fail to make the postseason or he starts to go cold ahead of the playoffs. Then, Bobby Witt Jr from the Kansas City Royals & Gunnar Henderson of the Baltimore Orioles have a small chance to beat Judge in that race in terms of their batting average.
The Former AL MVP Rivals Continue To Dominate
Since 2021, Judge and Ohtani have been top contenders for the AL MVP until last year. The Yankees outfielder did not have the advantage of being able to pitch as well. But due to the contribution of Ohtani as an elite hitter cum pitcher, he was an undeniable favorite to win the MVP awards. And he did win it in 2021 and 2023.
But Aaron Judge made sure he wins the MVP award before he became a free agent in 2022. As he broke the AL Home Run record that year, he was an undeniable favorite. This year, the Japanese sensation is dominating the National League, whereas Judge is on his way to breaking his own AL HR single-season record. He has already hit 44 homers this season.
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