If they handed out diamonds for the season, Shohei Ohtani from the Los Angeles Dodgers would have taken the crown. The Japanese star has done something no one has ever done—he inaugurated the 50-50 club. But there is another name who is also a favorite, Aaron Judge. He is the frontrunner, shouldering his team forward, and we did see what happened when he suffered a 16-game slump. The team started losing it too! 

The New York Yankees player has had a phenomenal year and is chasing his record of 60 home runs. Given the stellar performances of both the star players from the Yankees and the Dodgers, the comparisons between Judge and Ohtani and who is the best are also heating up. Jose Canseco also chimed in the conversation and said that Aaron Judge indeed could have pulled off what Ohtani did, had he not been limited by his team!

Aaron Judge could match up to Ohtani, if not for his team’s claims Canseco

Jose Canseco was the first one in history to reach 40-40 in 1988. Recently, the veteran got into a conversation about Ohtani and mentioned that he always knew how the Japanese star could reach the exclusive club. Canseco had seen Ohtani in a practice session and just the ease with which he hit made him come to that conclusion. But he also mentioned that while what Ohtani did was spectacular, as he didn’t think Ohtani could ever make it to the 50-50 club. He also feels Judge can match up to the Japanese star.

Jose Canseco, who spent over nine of his 17 years in the big league, told Kristina Rutherford of Sportsnet that Judge could match stolen if the Yankees allowed him to. “People don’t know this about Aaron Judge, but he’s extremely fast. He could be in the 50-50 club easily. But he’s got a huge contract. They don’t want him hurt, so he doesn’t steal bases. He’s 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, but could Aaron Judge in today’s structure steal 50? Easily.” Jose claimed.

Canseco further added, “That’s a given. For me, Aaron Judge could easily do a 50-50 back-to-back-to-back-to-back years. But of course, they’re not letting him run because they are protecting him.“ According to the veteran, making a 6-foot-7, 280-pound man steal base can raise more risks of injuries. So the team avoids it in all cases because they have signed Aaron Judge for a $360 million contract in 2020. And it makes sense, after all, they want their star to stay healthy!

We have seen cases like Mike Trout from the Los Angeles Angels and how, despite being an MVP and a veteran, his team cannot play him. He is injured and can only play next year. So Yanks are probably taking the sensible safe route. And it’s paying off well. 

Aaron Judge smashes a crazy 54-home run!

The New York Yankees may be playing it safe, but they are very well off this season. Remember the disastrous season last year? They didn’t make it to the post-season and now they are on top of the AL East and even clenched the ticket to October this week. We all saw the champagne-soaked party where every team member was more than thrilled to make it to the playoffs! And, Saturday’s game with Oakland Athletics was no less stellar, and they just inched them closer to their goals. 

On Saturday, the Yankees faced A’s for the second game of their three-game series in Oakland. Going in, the Yanks were high on energy. Meanwhile, the A’s well, they have been struggling and seated at fourth place in the AL West. However, they are long out of contention. And Yank’s confidence shone through as they took a comfortable 7-0 lead. Then the Judge stepped in to face Brandon Bielak.

On the first pitch, a high slider aimed at Judge came on, but the star was ready. He had the perfect timing and sent the ball soaring 425 feet over a center field with an impressive exit velocity of 107.2 mph. And that was Judge’s 54th home run of the season. The team closed a 10-0 at the game and now are closer to securing the coveted American League East title. Plus, Judge is also close to securing another 60-homer season.

So what do you think–are the Yanks taking the safe route with Aaron Judge or should they push him to steal bases, maybe? Let Judge fight it off with Shohei Ohtani? Let us know in the comments.