The New York Yankees defeated the Cleveland Guardians in the ALCS thanks to a game-winning three-run home run by Juan Soto in the top of the 10th inning. The Yankees will take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series, a matchup featuring the two best players in baseball. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the presumptive MVPs for their respective leagues this season. However, when it comes to a head-to-head matchup, Judge gives Shohei the edge, calling Ohtani the best player in the game.
When discussing what makes Ohtani so special, Judge elaborated. “Just his ability to stay through the zone. He stays through the zone so long. … Even when you think you got him, you don’t got him,” he said per Dodgers reporter Bill Plunkett on X.
Ohtani had a remarkable season. He became just the sixth player to join the 40/40 club – hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in a single season. And then he created the 50/50 club, becoming the first player to ever have 50 homers and 50 steals in a season.
The superstar two-way player was unable to pitch this year as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. But he made the most of his role as the Dodgers' DH, putting up an unheard of 9.3 bWAR exclusively as a designated hitter.
The Yankees’ slugger appreciates the Dodgers’ DH
Judge had a pretty good season himself. The Yankees’ center fielder led MLB in home runs (58), RBI (144), walks (133), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.701), OPS (1.159), OPS+ (223) and bWAR (11.4).
Despite his individual success, Judge kept his focus on the Yankees' season. He reached the 50 home run mark again and fell just two dingers shy of joining an exclusive club. Had Judge hit two more homers this year, he would have been just the third player in baseball history with multiple 60-home run seasons.
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Judge is also not one to dwell on his accomplishments. He generally prefers to celebrate other players, as he did when he called his Yankees teammate Juan Soto the “greatest hitter” in baseball.
Now Judge and Ohtani will square off in the Fall Classic. They’ll both be making their World Series debuts. However, this was Ohtani’s first postseason after spending the first six years of his career with the Los Angeles Angels.
The Yankees will start ace Gerrit Cole in Game 1 of the World Series while the Dodgers will send veteran Jack Flaherty to the mound. The series begins on Friday evening in Los Angeles.
