The Major Baseball season saw a feat never before achieved in the history of the sport. So it’s no surprise to see Shohei Ohtani earn the National League Most Valuable Player award.
For his part, Aaron Judge stood out once again with exceptional batting statistics, which perhaps went a little under the radar due to Shohei Ohtani, and that’s why he inherited the title of MVP in the American for the second time in her career. Both players received all of the first-place votes on the ballots.
Fifty-fifty. This simple expression is now used in major baseball thanks to the star player of the Dodgers. In his first season in the blue uniform in Los Angeles, Ohtani stood out from his peers, without needing to find himself on the mound.
Despite surgery that left him unable to be used as a pitcher this season, he became the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single campaign. As the founder and sole representative of the 50-50 club, it was not surprising to see Ohtani get his hands on a third Most Valuable Player title after 2023 and 2021, then with the Los Angeles Angels. However, this is the first time that a player has won with only the designation “designated hitter” next to his name, as Ohtani had also been recognized for his work on the mound with the Angels.
In addition to these 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, Ohtani also stood out at the bat with a .310 average and 130 RBIs. He thus crowned his first season with the Dodgers with a conquest of the World Series and the title of MVP.
He became only the second player in history to win this honor in both leagues. Frank Robinson, with the Cincinnati Reds in 1961, and with the Baltimore Orioles in 1966, had achieved the feat before him.
Ohtani was in a class of his own without taking anything away from the other candidates in the National, namely Francisco Lindor (New York Mets) and Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks). Lindor’s defensive play certainly earned him this nomination with a productive campaign for the shortstop at the plate. He hit 33 home runs with 29 stolen bases.
For his part, Marte has dominated at his position this season. He leads second basemen in home runs (36) and RBIs (95).
Judge had the spotlight stolen by Ohtani this season and during the World Series with the Dodgers’ victory over the Yankees. In the regular season, the Yankees outfielder has little to envy of the Dodgers star and it is not for nothing that he won this honor after a unanimous vote.
Judge got his hands on a second “MVP” title after that of 2022 thanks to 144 RBIs, 58 home runs, 122 runs scored, 36 doubles and a .322 batting average. He led Major League Baseball in home runs, RBIs, on-base percentage, and OPS (1.159).
“March and April haven’t been my best friends this year,” admitted Judge, who hit only six home runs in April. Keep working and things will change. You can’t mope around. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, no one is going to feel sorry for you. So you just have to persevere and find a way to play well. »
He is ahead of his teammate with the Yankees, Juan Soto, who had a thunderous campaign. He posted 41 home runs, 109 RBIs, 128 runs scored and 129 walks to energize the New York offense alongside Judge. He will be curious to see how much money he can get during the off-season with his new contract.
Bobby Witt Jr. probably had the closest thing to Judge’s record as a serious candidate for this award. The Kansas City Royals shortstop became the first player at his position to have more than one campaign with 30 home runs (32) and 30 stolen bases (31). He led the majors in average at .332. This achievement has him imitating Mookie Betts in 2018, as the only players to have dominated in average while having a campaign of 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases. This is not to mention his defensive play which has made him one of the most reliable players in his position and spectacular as well.
