Time To Prove Who’s the Best in MLB: Judge, Ohtani — Or the Mets

It’s too early to be consumed by the possibility of the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees meeting in the 2024 World Series, though the prospect is too delicious to ignore. It would match the two best players in baseball this season: Yankees captain Aaron Judge and Dodgers 50/50 Club founder Shohei Ohtani.To make that a reality, the Yankees must first get past the Kansas City Royals in the American League Division Series which begins Saturday at the Bronx, and then capture the American League Championship. The Dodgers face their National League West nemesis, the San Diego Padres, in their National League Division Series beginning Saturday with the winner of the best-of-five series advancing to the National League Championship.The New York Mets, who face the Philadelphia Phillies in the other NLDS, might also have something to say about who plays for the ultimate prize after eliminating Milwaukee in Game 3 of their Wild-Card Series on Pete Alonso’s dramatic ninth-inning home run. Until then, it’s reasonable to debate whether Mr. Judge or Mr. Ohtani had the better regular season after posting prolific and even historic numbers. There is no easy answer and the ultimate distinction of the best MLB Player in 2024 will likely be decided amid the pressure of an October post-season. For now, it’s a dead-heat.While playing a solid centerfield, Mr. Judge batted .322 with a Slugging Percentage of .701 and a 1.159 OPS. He led the majors with 58 home runs and 144 RBI and posted an on-base percentage of .458.While recovering from arm surgery, the Dodgers designated hitter, Mr. Ohtani, batted .310 with a slugging percentage of .646, an OPS of 1.036 with 54 home runs, 130 RBI, and on-base percentage of .390. While Mr. Judge stole just ten bases, Mr. Ohtani swiped 59, making him the first member of the 50/50 club representing at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases.“That’s a tough choice for me,” the former Mets manager, Terry Collins, told the Sun. “What Ohtani did with the 50 stolen bases is off the charts. I didn’t think he had that kind of foot speed. But you look at what Judge has done while playing center field. When they talked about him going to center, I was really concerned because he’d had so many leg problems in the past. But he’s done a hell of a job out there. Offensively, I still can’t believe people pitch to him.”Mr. Judge carried the Yankees to the American League East title after not making the post-season a year ago. It was his third season of at least 50 home runs. He enters the post-season with 315 career home runs, after achieving 300 home runs faster than anyone in MLB history.“It’s Aaron Judge,” manager Aaron Boone said recently. “It’s greatness right in front of us.”If numbers don’t lie, then Mr. Judge has the edge. He had a better batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS than Mr. Ohtani. The Yankees captain also hit more home runs and drove in more runs. Mr. Ohtani, a lead-off hitter, had more plate appearances, more runs scored, and more stolen bases.“All the stolen bases I think puts Ohtani a little bit ahead,” Tom Harding, who has covered major league baseball for 25 years in Colorado, told the Sun. “But Judge had a Ruth-like season in a lot of ways. With all those home runs, you couldn’t really pitch to him. But I’d go with Ohtani.”Ray Birmingham, who became the winningest baseball coach in Mountain West Conference history while coaching at the University of New Mexico, said it’s important to consider where the two players play. According to Baseball Savant, Yankee Stadium is the most home run-friendly ball park in the majors while Dodgers Stadium ranks 17th.“It’s harder to hit home runs in LA than it is in New York,” Mr. Birmingham told the Sun. “You’ve got to smoke it in LA to get it out of the yard comparatively speaking. Not that it’s easy in New York. Ohtani also hits lead-off so he gets more opportunities. There’s a lot to digest.”The Yankees-Royals matchup is a renewal of a heated post-season rivalry in the 1970s and 1980s when the two teams fought with their bats and fists. The Yankees haven’t won a World Series since 2009, but are the American League’s top seed after a 94-68 record. Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole takes the ball in Game 1 after posting a 2.25 ERA over his last ten starts.“I feel like this year any team in the playoffs has the ability to beat anyone else,” Mr. Boone said. “I feel like if we play our best baseball, we have as good or better chance than anyone. We can’t wait to get after it. We’re excited to take our shot.”The Dodgers last won the World Series during the 2020 pandemic and would like to add another to cap Mr. Ohtani’s historic season. “Shohei has carried the brunt of the offense this season,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters at Los Angeles. “But I still expect Mookie (Betts) and Freddie (Freeman) to be the guys that they are and have shown in past postseasons. If we can get those guys and the rest of the lineup doing what they’re capable of, I don’t think we can be beat.”Mr. Ohtani has served exclusively as a designated hitter while recovering from arm surgery. Yet the winner of 38 career games as a pitcher has thrown several bullpen sessions recently, creating speculation that he might pitch during the playoffs. General Manager Brandon Gomes didn’t exactly squash that notion, saying, “We don’t anticipate him pitching in the postseason.” Somehow after 162 games, the comparisons between Mr. Judge and Mr. Ohtani keep getting more impressive.

Time To Prove Who’s the Best in MLB: Judge, Ohtani — Or the Mets

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