Aaron Judge, the New York Yankees captain, let down fans in two games of the American League Division Series (ALDS) against the Kansas City Royals as he went 2-for-8 with just walks and singles. The end result is a 1-1 split in the series as the Yanks lose their hard-earned home advantage.
However, irrespective of the postseason struggles, Aaron Judge’s profound success in the regular season cannot be undermined. He finished as the American League’s best hitter as per statistics, and hence, he rightly deserves to be awarded his career-second AL-MVP, regardless of how he performs in October.
Aaron Judge Continues To Lead AL-MVP Race
As the regular season concludes, it’s time to assess the American League MVP race analytically, using metrics that go beyond traditional statistics. The Tru Player Runs Above Average (TPRAA) method prioritizes elite-level performance and helps identify the true value of a particular top hitter. Honorable mentions include players like the Guardians’ Jose Ramirez, who posted 22.1 TPRAA but ranked lower due to weaker batted-ball metrics. And Red Sox’s Jarren Duran, whose speed is sometimes overvalued in traditional metrics but still performed well with 22.5 TPRAA. Rafael Devers also deserves mention for his strong first half despite injury-shortened production. However, topping this list is New York Yankees center fielder and captain Aaron Judge. He holds a 97.1 TPRAA compared to second-placed Juan Soto (87.7 TPRAA).
Aaron Judge has been the most complete version of himself this season. His dominance came from his ability to combine hard contact on fly balls with fewer pop-ups than his peers, alongside an overall strong batted ball profile. Judge’s MVP-caliber season stands out for its consistent excellence across all offensive categories, proving he remains the AL’s best offensive force when fully healthy. He hits significantly more fly balls than Soto and with greater authority. Moreover, despite Judge’s higher strikeout rate, the reward outweighs the risk given his immense power. Both he and Soto are bat-first players. However, Judge stands out with better baserunning and playing a more critical position in center field. Soto may have a slight edge as a defender, though Judge’s positional value makes him the superior overall contributor. After dealing with a toe injury last season, Judge remained healthy this year. Hence, regardless of October stats, Judge deserves to be AL-MVP this year.
Judge-Soto Declared Finalist For Prestigious Award
To no one’s surprise, the New York Yankees’ dynamic, powerful duo, Aaron Judge and Juan Soto headline the list of finalists for the 2024 Hank Aaron Award. The award, which honors the best offensive player in each league, features both Yankees outfielders among the ten American League nominees.
Fans and a panel of Hall of Famers vote on the prestigious award, established in 1999 to commemorate Hank Aaron breaking the all-time home run record. Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ captain, had a historic 2024 season, slashing .322/.458/.701 with 58 home runs, 144 RBI, and an OPS of 1.159 whereas Soto posted an impressive .288/.419/.569 slash line with a career-high 41 home runs, 109 RBI and .988 OPS.
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