Mookie Betts’ insightful take on Shohei Ohtani-Aaron Judge debate
Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are in the midst of historic seasons. Ohtani has already joined the exclusive 40/40 club and could become the first player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season. Judge is having the best year for a power hitter since Barry Bonds and could become just the third player ever with multiple 60-homer seasons.
With these two titans reaching incredible heights in 2024 there’s a natural tendency to debate which league MVP frontrunner is having the better campaign. However, Ohtani’s Los Angeles Dodgers teammate Mookie Betts doesn’t see the need for a debate.
“Somebody asked me whose season is better… Shohei Ohtani going for 50-50 or Aaron Judge breaking the home run record… We should appreciate greatness. This is stuff I don’t know if we’ll ever see again,” Betts said during an appearance on B/R Walk-Off’s “On Base.”
“Somebody asked me whose season is better… Shohei Ohtani going for 50-50 or Aaron Judge breaking the home run record… We should appreciate greatness. This is stuff I don’t know if we’ll ever see again.”
— Mookie Betts
(via “On Base”, @BRWalkoff)pic.twitter.com/hjoB3iFpEt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 29, 2024
Ohtani went deep and swiped two bases during his second bobblehead night of the season, which featured the Dodger and his dog Decoy. The seven-year veteran is up to 42 homers and 42 steals on the season.
While he hasn’t been able to pitch in 2024 as he recovers from Tommy John surgery, Ohtani has been remarkable as the Dodgers’ DH. He leads the National League in runs scored (104), home runs, slugging percentage (.619), OPS (.999), OPS+ (176) and total bases (319), entering play on Thursday. The four-time All-Star is up to 6.7 bWAR in 130 games.
Dodgers’ Mookie Betts appreciates the accomplishments of Ohtani and Judge
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers prior to the season. His unreal production has helped propel the team to the top of the division with a three-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NL West.
On the other coast, Judge is leaving an indelible mark on the 2024 season. After breaking the American League home run record in 2022, the nine-year veteran is poised to crack 60 homers for the second time. Judge has put up surreal stats, leading all of baseball with 51 home runs, 123 RBI, 110 walks, a .467 on-base percentage, .731 slugging percentage, 1.198 OPS, 229 OPS+ and 342 total bases. He’s also getting the Barry Bonds treatment as some managers would rather intentionally walk Judge than let him swing.
All this raking has helped the New York Yankees retake the division with a one-game lead over the second-place Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. The Yankees are number two in the most recent MLB Power Rankings and the Dodgers are in the top spot.
For his part, Judge has said that Ohtani is the best player in baseball. But humble is sort of his thing. He’s called teammate Juan Soto the greatest hitter in MLB and downplayed his epic accomplishments this season, saying his focus is on winning a championship.
It’s far too difficult to decide who’s having the better season. As Betts put it, “I get the question but I don’t think it’s a fair question because… I don’t think one has to be better than the other one.”
The post Mookie Betts’ insightful take on Shohei Ohtani-Aaron Judge debate appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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