The best player in Major League Baseball and the extended chatter—discussions are going on forever, aren’t they? And now, the latest talks surrounding who’s the best—Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge—chime in on the conversation. There’s no denying that they both are the stalwarts for their respective teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees. But, while everyone expects only one name to be the MLB’s best, there’s a big surprise waiting. What is it?

Well, the shocking part is that, going by the stats, Aaron Judge seems to be the one, the current best in MLB. That’s surely going to raise a lot of eyebrows for sure, isn’t it?

Absolutely! Shohei Ohtani’s an excellent player. His career strikeout rate is 31.2 percent, and despite not pitching in 2024, Ohtani was the first player in the history of the MLB to post 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. Quite an easy guess for many to consider him as the best; however, what‘s surprising is that apart from the stolen bases, Aaron Judge fares better than Ohtani in every aspect. Shocking, isn’t it?

Maybe, but not surprising at all! Aaron Judge blasted it off in 2024, where he batted at an average of .322, posted 58 home runs and 144 RBIs, and scored 122 runs in his 158 games. When we compare the stats, Aaron Judge had a better WAR (10.8), 158 G, 704 PA, .458 OBP, and 1.159 OPS when compared to Shohei Ohtani.

In every aspect, Judge seems to have a greater hold—the only area where he’s on the back foot is Ohtani’s 20 SB; Judge had 10. Even in terms of the awards, none of them can be separated, as both have one All-Star, one MVP, and one Silver Slugger award.

While it’s a close call between the two, Judge’s home run predictions for 2025 have already left fans buzzing. Why is it so?

Aaron Judge is looking to replicate the same magic this season amid predictions

Aaron Judge knows very well that he has been the strength behind the New York Yankees’ offense. His role is to hit runs, and that’s what makes him so popular. And Judge does it perfectly. With the MVP debate continuing among the fans and most of them considering Shohei Ohtani for being a two-way player, Judge isn’t much behind. His average bat speed (77.1 mph) is better than Ohtani’s (76.3 mph), although the squared-up rate is lower. But that doesn’t make him less important, right?

At present, the Yankees have the best slugger in Aaron Judge, and no one can deny that. That’s perhaps a major reason that the Yankees depend so much on him to win the championship title. Judge, who will turn 33 in a little while, is hitting the ball out of the park every season; more than 54 home runs are anticipated from him.

What do you think? Will it be possible, or do you still consider Shohei Ohtani to be the greatest? Let us know in the comment section—are you with the Japanese superstar or the American outfielder?