Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani

As the Major League Baseball regular season continues its final week, the two likely MVPs are wrapping up excellent campaigns to lead their teams into the postseason.

Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers have made history in many ways, but it can be difficult to decide which of the two is the best. - Owen Klein

Aaron Judge

Judge began his season by struggling in April to the tune of a .220/.361/.450 slash line, which is above average for most hitters but below the 2022 AL MVP’s standards.

However, his May was something to behold, as his slash line of .361/.479/.918 and 14 home runs helped thrust him back firmly into the league’s MVP conversation.

Judge also broke Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig’s record of 24 extra-base hits in May by registering 26 that month. - Klein

Aaron Judge has been nothing short of remarkable once again in the 2024 season.

After a 2023 season hampered with injuries, Judge has come back better than maybe even his 2022 campaign, where he broke the American League home run record with 62 in a single season.

As the season winds down, we fully expect Judge to make a huge impact on his club's performance in the postseason. - Austin Moran

Judge continues to put up unimaginable numbers in today’s day of major league baseball.

He has completed another type of triple crown statistically throughout the season. He leads baseball with a .459 OBP, .699 OPS and a whopping 1.158 OPS on the 2024 campaign.

At the season’s conclusion, it should be a no-brainer that Judge is the unanimous AL MVP. - Guistino Racchini

Shohei Ohtani

Despite not pitching while he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani hasn’t needed to step on the mound to make history.

On Thursday in Miami, Ohtani became the first player in MLB history to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season by going six-for-six with three home runs (Nos. 49, 50 and 51), two stolen bases (Nos. 50 and 51) and 10 RBIs.

Ohtani is now up to 53 homers and 55 stolen bases this season, so there’s still more time for him to extend his milestone. - Klein

In his first season with the Dodgers, Ohtani picked up right where he left off on the other side of town.

Back on Ohtani’s bobblehead night, his dog Decoy stole the show while throwing out the first pitch. It seems Ohtani can do no wrong in his historic season and it continues to get better.

It will be exciting to finally be able to see Ohtani in postseason action for the first time in his storied career. - Moran

The sensation from Japan continues to impress his viewers with wowing performances like the one in Miami. - Racchini

Whom Would We Take?

Ohtani has yet to perform in the postseason, which will allow him to build his legacy further, and the fact that he hasn’t touched the mound in his Dodgers tenure gives so much to look forward to, so give me the Japanese superstar. - Klein

You can’t really go wrong when choosing between these two. I have always loved watching Judges destroy baseballs over the years. Maybe we'll see these two clash in the fall classic, but until then I’ll take Ohtani. - Moran

Aaron Judge is putting together one of the best offensive seasons of all time. The playoffs will surely be a test for the captain, as he hopes to lead the Yankees to the World Series. No other hitter can touch him this season. - Racchini

Owen Klein is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email ojk5092@psu.edu.

Giustino Racchini is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email gar5448@psu.edu.

Austin Moran is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email acm6506@psu.edu.