MLB
Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani? MLB legend settles the debate
Two of the biggest names in Major League Baseball: Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge look to close out the season on a high note.
The current MLB season has captivated fans, largely due to the exceptional performances of two of the game’s greatest generational talents: Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels.
Mookie Betts, an eight-time All-Star and a cornerstone of the Dodgers’ offence, weighed in on the debate about who is having the better season—his teammate in California or the captain of the Yankees.
Who has better numbers: Ohtani or Judge?
“I don’t think one has to be better than the other,” Betts remarked during an appearance on the “On Base - B/R Walk-Off” podcast. “Someone asked me which season would be better... Shohei Ohtani with a 50-50 season or Aaron Judge breaking the home run record. We should appreciate greatness. I don’t know if we’ll ever see anything like that again.”
Aaron Judge has hit 51 home runs this season and boasts an impressive offensive line of .327/.461/.715, along with 31 doubles, 123 RBIs, 110 walks, a 1.189 OPS, and 342 total bases in 135 games. These statistics make him a strong candidate for the American League MVP award.
The captain of the ‘Bronx Bombers’ is on track to finish the year with 63 home runs, which would surpass his own American League record of 62 home runs, set when he broke Roger Maris’ mark of 61 in 2022. Judge has firmly established himself as the leader of the Yankees’ offense.
Meanwhile, Shohei Ohtani has hit 44 home runs with an offensive line of .291/.374/.617, 30 doubles, 107 RBIs, 69 walks, a .991 OPS, and 329 total bases in 134 games. The Japanese two-way star has already achieved a historic milestone by recording 43 home runs and 43 stolen bases in a single MLB season and still has the chance to become the first player ever to achieve a 50-50 season.