Aaron Judge needs to stay healthy if the New York Yankees hope to win the World Series this year. Last year saw the NY side’s captain hurt his toe after a freak accident at the Los Angeles Dodgers fence. It was a huge blow for the Bronx Bombers because, without their captain, they had no other superstar slugger last year. Hence, Judge’s absence weakened the team’s offense to a great extent. Moreover, the team had a pretty long Injured List with several key players, including veterans and youth, making it even worse for the Yankees. As a result, the 27-time champions failed to make the postseason.
It was the first time since 2016 that the Yankees could not qualify for the playoffs. Only if Aaron Judge had not had such an accident could he win another MVP like he did in the previous year. He started the 2023 season pretty well, and until his injury, he hit 37 home runs. In the end, Judge and the rest of the Yankees had a season to forget. However, the 2024 season seems to be a lot different, as Juan Soto is there in the hitting order for Judge’s protection. Hence, there is a good chance that the Yankees captain can win another MVP this year if he manages to stay healthy all year long.
Can Aaron Judge Avoid Injuries To Win AL MVP 2024?
Already, the Yankees have two top candidates for the AL MVP voting this year. If last year taught the fans anything, then it is the health at the end of the day which is the key for the team and the players to do something special on the pitch. The Yankees management might require “Constant maintenance” on their two superstars – Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. Clearly, the duo will support each other in the batting order. But the ardent fans of the NY side knows that things can go south at any moment.
In the last few seasons, All Rise had several injuries, and his Injury List keeps getting scarier. Since 2021, the AL 2022 MVP has hurt his side, back, hips (twice), and lower body. But the toe injury last year was the scariest of all. The Yankees captain’s IL is making the fans wonder if his body is breaking down too soon. As per NJ Media’s Max Goodman, Aaron Judge said an injury like what he had last year would need “Constant maintenance” throughout the rest of his playing career. That comment on his own toe only scares the fans.
Juan Soto Is The Only Valid Competition For The AL Record Home Run Hitter To Win The MVP In 2024
After Shohei Ohtani moved to the Los Angeles Dodgers, he became a serious candidate to win MVP in the National League. But when the Unicorn was playing for the LA Angels, he was the biggest competition for Judge to win the MVP title. However, Aaron Judge managed to beat Ohtani in 2022 to win the AL MVP. Albeit, the two-way superstar was pretty close to winning that year as well.
But Judge won it because he broke the American League home run record. Anyhow, Ohtani won the AL MVP unanimously again last year. But now that “Sho-time” is in NL, Aaron Judge has a pretty good shot for the title this year. However, his new threat will be his new teammate, Juan Soto, the best hitter in baseball. Both can complement each other’s game well this year and also be each other’s biggest competition for the MVP title simultaneously.
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