Aaron Judge is proving Shohei Ohtani right for moving to the NL

We saw Aaron Judge miss a surplus of games in the 2023 season due to injuries. The New York Yankees struggled without him, and fans were disappointed he didn’t get a fair chance at following up his historic 2022 AL MVP season.

After hitting 62 HRs in 2022, many thought Judge was a better hitter than the brand-new Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani. The two-way phenom captured the AL MVP award in 2023 and might win his third total MVP, but this time in the National League. However, if he were in the AL still, he wouldn’t match up with Judge.

Shohei Ohtani wouldn't challenge Aaron Judge for AL MVP this season

This season, the two-time MVP holds a .322 BA, with a 1.045 OPS, 25 HRs, and 61 RBIs. Judge somehow has better numbers than Ohtani. The Yankees superstar holds a .309 BA, with a 1.145 OPS, 30 HR, and 77 RBIs.

New York wouldn’t be the same without the former MVP. Judge is proving yet again why he is a must-watch player. The Yankees slugger is the first player to hit 30 HRs this season. As wild as it sounds, the 32-year-old could easily surpass the 62 HRs he hit in 2022 this season.

With Juan Soto hitting right in front of the former MVP, it forces pitchers to throw to Judge rather than throw around. Soto has a league-leading .434 OBP. Pitchers have to pick one of them to pitch around, and once there are runners on, pitchers can’t always avoid the former MVP.

Across the Yankee captain's last 40 games, he’s posted a .388 BA, 1.453 OPS, 21 HRs, and 52 RBIs. Those numbers across a 162-game span would equate to 85 HRs and 210 RBI.

New York has a one-game lead over the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. Both teams have been struggling recently, but the Yankees have something they don’t, Judge.

There should be no question about who the best hitter in MLB is. Judge consistently does the unthinkable and shatters records left and right. Judge currently leads MLB in HRs, RBIs, OPS, and SLG. If the five-time All-Star stays healthy, he will be cruising to his second AL MVP this season.

This article was originally published on fansided.com as Aaron Judge is proving Shohei Ohtani right for moving to the NL.