Why Aaron Judge Deserves the A.L. MVP

Just so we're clear, Shohei Ohtani is that most unique of baseball players; a gifted power hitter who is also an accomplished pitcher. He won last season's A.L. MVP award and is making a pretty strong case to at least be considered for it again this year. Players like this don't grow on trees. Check out the slash line below:

BA: .271, HRs: 34; RBIs: 89, OPS: .892

W-L: 13-8; ERA: 2.43; IP: 148; SO: 196

Those are pretty good numbers, if I do say so myself, and if Perry Minasian happens to call up Billy Eppler over the winter to inquire if the Mets would be interested in obtaining the 27 year old, anything other than an unqualified "who do I have to kill?" should get Eppler committed to Bellevue indefinitely.

On day one, Ohtani would instantly become the Mets best player. Just imagine a pitching rotation that includes Max Scherzer, Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Ohtani. Then imagine a lineup that consists of Brandon Nimmo, Starling Marte, Francisco Lindor, Pete Alonso and Ohtani. The Braves can kiss the N.L. East goodbye for the foreseeable future.

But here's the thing: as good a season as Ohtani is having for the Angels, it doesn't come remotely close to the season Aaron Judge is having for the Yankees. There's no other way around it: Judge is having the kind of season baseball players dream about. You want a slash line? Try this one on for size.

BA: .316 (1st), HRs: 60 (1st), RBIs: 128 (1st), OPS: 1.125 (1st)

The last player to win the triple crown in the American League was Miguel Cabrera for the Tigers in 2012. Before that, it was Carl Yastrzemski for the Red Sox in 1967. As you can see, it doesn't happen very often. Judge would be the first triple crown winner to smack 60 plus home runs. Not even Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig did that. He's just one home run away from tying Roger Maris's single season record and two away from breaking it. Thurman Munson, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Don Mattingly, Bernie Williams, Derek Jeter, none of them had the kind of year Judge is having. Even when Maris broke the Babe's record in 1961, he still only hit .269.

No, Judge doesn't wear multiple hats like Ohtani, but he personifies in every way imaginable what it means to be a most valuable player. Think about it. If the Angels didn't have Ohtani on their roster, they would still be a lousy ball club. But if the Yankees didn't have Judge on theirs, they wouldn't even be in playoff contention. Just look at the lineup. Yes, it's encouraging that Stanton is finally starting to hit, but throughout this entire season, when his team has needed him most, Judge has come through in the clutch. Last night, he threw out a runner trying to stretch a single into a double. The man does it all. He's the epitome of a five-tool player. I say this as a Mets fan, it has been a joy to watch the professionalism he brings to the game. If Steve Cohen could afford him, he'd be a fixture at CitiField for the next decade.

Look, in any other year, Shohei Ohtani might be a deserving candidate for MVP. Not this year; not with the kind of season Aaron Judge is having. If the term MVP means anything, then the decision should be a no-brainer.