All rise for the judge; the court is in session. The New York Yankees are almost out of postseason contention, but their captain will not relent. Aaron Judge is determined to defend his AL MVP title even after missing two months of the season. Although two-way marvel Shohei Ohtani is the overwhelming favorite to win the award, the Yankees outfielder has asserted he’s not out of the race yet.

The Los Angeles Angels player leads the AL with 44 home runs and had to step away due to multiple injuries. Had he gotten a chance to finish out 162 games, Shotime could have upped the number. At this point in the season, neither Judge nor Ohtani are reaching 62. But All-Rise is nevertheless making home run history in pinstripes.

Aaron Judge Smashes Three Home Runs, Again

On August 23 against the Washington Nationals, Aaron Judge finally achieved a huge milestone – hit three home runs in the same game. The captain’s teammates had done it before, but despite leading the league in long balls last season, the feat eluded him. Almost exactly a month later, Judge achieved the same feat on Sept. 22 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

It was the first time a player in pinstripes had multiple three home run games in a single season. Now the Yankees outfielder is at 35 homers in 100 games, competing with 44 in 135 games at the top. Despite his record-breaking play, even Shohei Ohtani hasn’t done it. The Japanese marvel undoubtedly put out one of the best seasons MLB has ever seen in 2023, but he’s off the field now.

While Judge missed 55 games due to a severe toe injury in the middle of the year, Ohtani established his dominance. But now he’s gone and Judge is back. Is Shotime’s kingdom about to come toppling down because of the Yankees captain’s home run heroics, again? The Angels slugger was certainly not happy about having had to give up the award in 2022.

Will Shohei Ohtani Lose Out on AL MVP Again?

Baseball’s unicorn certainly deserves as many awards as can possibly be given. But that does not mean talent around the league can be ignored. 2021 saw Shohei Ohtani win the MVP title unanimously, but Aaron Judge stole the title in 2022. Shotime seemed determined to win it again in 2023 and before injuries struck him down, the two-way player certainly put up a good fight.

READ MORE – Would Shohei Ohtani Still Have a Chance at MVP if Aaron Judge Played the Full Season?

Will audiences be swayed by the Yankees player’s outstanding display at the end of the season? Or will Ohtani’s superhuman tactics hold more sway? Only time will tell.

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