Looks like the Bronx is in full meltdown mode again—and no, it’s not over a blown save or a cold hot dog at Yankee Stadium. This time, the pitchforks are out for none other than Shohei Ohtani, the two-way phenom who’s apparently guilty of… being too good at baseball. After MLB’s latest awards announcement left Aaron Judge empty-handed, Yankees fans have found their scapegoat.

A few days ago, MLB released a list of the top 100 players. And after a blissful 2024 season, Shohei Ohtani took the top spot. During the whole of the 2024 season, Shohei Ohtani hit 54 home runs and 130 RBIs with a batting average of .310. These numbers won him the 2024 NL MVP award, as he also became the first player to have a 50-50 season.

Aaron Judge, who finished second in the list had also put up good numbers. In the 2024 season, Judge hit 58 home runs and had 144 RBIs with a batting average of .322. These numbers earned him the AL MVP award. Now when we look at it, these numbers are so close but Judge edges out Ohtani by a margin.

And when the list came up, oh boy were the Yankees fans fuming. Aaron Judge ranked second behind Shohei Ohtani. The performances of both Ohtani and Judge were average in the World Series, but it was Ohtani who ended up with the final October win. That doesn’t mean the Bronx likes it.

Bronx Backlash: Yankees fans take aim at Shohei Ohtani after Judge’s snub

The Bronx faithful are at it again, and this time their target isn’t a rival pitcher or a front office decision—it’s Shohei Ohtani, baseball’s very own unicorn. After Aaron Judge was passed over for top honors, Yankees fans didn’t just voice their disappointment—they unleashed a full-scale digital tantrum.

Sure, Judge had a stellar season, but let’s be honest: to some, holding a grudge against Ohtani for being historically great feels a bit like blaming the rain for getting wet, doesn’t it?. Yankees Twitter is fuming, but maybe the real frustration isn’t with Ohtani—it’s with reality itself.

Comparing Shohei Ohtani to Aaron Judge makes complete sense. Both are world-class players that got their teams to October. But one fan compared Anthony Volpe to the Japanese slugger, as the former had a home run in the World Series and the latter didn’t. Then again, would it be a fair comparison by ditching the rest of the season’s stats and achievements and comparing it to the one home run?

This Yankees fan wanted to make a case for the top 100 list being rigged. Shohei Ohtani had a much bigger impact on the Dodgers than Judge had on the Yankees in the postseason. While Aaron Judge had an average of .184 with 3 home runs and a .344 OBP, Ohtani was significantly better, with an average of .230, 3 home runs, and .373 OBP. Even though it was Ohtani’s first time playing in October and Judge’s seventh time, who looked better in the box?

But there were still some who clearly thought Judge could have been number one and that he was snubbed. This was just one season-one award. We all know that Aaron Judge will come back stronger and give Shohei Ohtani a run for his money. Then again, criticism is a part of the game, but there is a very fine line between passionate debate and unfair slander.

There are some fans who have supported this list. After all, with both LA teams, Ohtani has put up MVP-worthy seasons for almost every year since 2021. For Bronx fans, the problem is that so has Aaron Judge. Both dominated the number one and two spots of almost all elite lists these last few years. Maybe it’s better that they’re now in playing in different leagues but there will still be common awards like this to be found.

Ohtani has already achieved something that no one has ever achieved before. But one fan still pointed out how “Judge was better than him at every aspect of baseball other than running” in the 2024 season! Call it bias or call it correct judgement, everyone will always have different tools of measurement for athlete popularity.

Keeping the jokes and the angry comments aside, we know the value the World Series carries. Many fans think that the Dodgers winning the World Series played a major part in this list. And if the Yankees had taken the title, the fans are pretty sure that Aaron Judge would have taken the top spot.