Could Ohtani Fans Accidentally Present Judge With American League MVP Award?

The American League MVP race is a two-horse race between Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Shohei Ohtani of the Angels. Depending on who you ask, the award could go to either person. However, the intransigence of Ohtani fans is far greater than that of fans supporting Judge.

While the consensus among Judge’s supporters seems to be, “Sure, Ohtani can hit and pitch, but I think Judge should win the MVP,” the Ohtani defense seems more along the lines of, “If you don’t vote for Ohtani, you.” should be banned from having an opinion on baseball forever” or “If he was unanimous MVP last season, every season, even close to 2021, should result in an MVP for Ohtani as well.” Obviously, these are exaggerations, but both are not too far from reality. Like, gosh folks, calm down.

Personally, I have Ohtani above Judge in my MVP rankings, which wouldn’t matter at all, but it just goes to show that I’m not trying to be a one-of-a-kind snowflake or play devil’s advocate. The fact of the matter is that both Judge and Ohtani have insane, historic seasons and should both receive MVP recognition. However, if you deny the greatness of any of these players, your side of the aisle just looks unsafe. Refusing to give birth to someone with an opposing view and claiming that they simply “know nothing about baseball” can only hurt your candidate’s MVP case.

We know the BBWAA can be very biased. Different reporters from different regions of the country tend to be more lenient towards their own players and their award contenders. But other factors can also play a role: rivalries, public perception, public outcry, and personal prejudice. I personally love the record discipline. I’ve always hated Bryce Harper too (don’t ask why). So if I had had a vote in last year’s National League MVP race, I would have put Juan Soto in first place.

Essentially, the public’s association with Shohei Ohtani is well deserved. He’s the best baseball player on the planet in my eyes and he’s doing things no one’s seen before. However, dismissing Judge outright will only annoy those on the fence about him. It’s like any argument. It’s human nature to engage in more rational arguments, and the “if you don’t believe that, you shouldn’t be allowed to have an opinion” narrative is not only harsh, it’s also unfair and will drive people even further to try and get out to opt for your opposition out of sheer defiance.

I understand that other factors may also play a role. Old-school voters love team success. Given that the Angels are already out of the playoffs, it’s likely to hurt Ohtani’s chances immensely. The fact that Judge plays on the Yankees will also be a factor. He’s putting together one of the greatest offensive seasons ever in America’s biggest market (he’s also solid on defense and on the basepaths). He’s the center of attention of the entire nation practically every night and has a lot of drama surrounding him regarding his upcoming free agency. That makes it marketable. This makes him eye-catching and fascinating. He’s also never won an MVP before, and voters tend to shy away from people who have already racked up incredible accomplishments and accolades like Ohtani has.

Basically, the vote, as one-sided as it may seem to some, will be close, very close. As an Ohtani supporter myself, I implore anyone who wants to deny Judge’s 60 homers to reconsider for Ohtani’s sake. Blame Yankee Stadium for its dimensions all you will, but Judge is having a historic season. Acknowledge that, and when the voters end up choosing the judge, walk away with grace. Ohtani’s skills make him an MVP nominee every year. Judge isn’t going to hit 60 homers every season, especially if he leaves the Yankees this offseason. He will be back and will likely have several more MVP awards by the end of his career.