Here’s an entertaining baseball hypothetical: If you were an MLB general manager starting from scratch right now, which player would you draft first? Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers’ designated hitter, or Aaron Judge, the Yankees’ outfielder?
Why are these two players the only choices?
Both are arguably the best players of their generation and are on track to be first-ballot Hall of Famers. Since we’re all about reporting the facts here at SAN, I’ll simply lay out the numbers and let the debate begin.
No one would argue that Judge has played the first 42 games of the season as if he came from another planet. He leads the majors in almost every batting category. He has single-handedly propelled an injury-plagued Yankee roster to first place in the American League East. Judge told reporters on Sunday, May 11, after four hits in a win over the Athletics, that he models his game after greats Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera.
“The two best, I feel like, right-handed hitters I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Judge said. “So, I’m just trying to follow their lead, and wherever I am in the lineup, I’ve got to do my job. I’m hitting third, and I’ve got to drive guys in. Hitting second, I get on base and do my part for the team.”
Before an April 29 game against the Baltimore Orioles, Yankees manager Aaron Boone drew chuckles from reporters in the dugout, despite the fact that he was serious about Judge’s potential.
“I’m not being cute or funny, I don’t think he’s really been that hot yet,” Boone told the reporter. “Honestly, he’s getting his hits, and I think it’s a credit to just how great he is, but when he gets really going and starts hitting balls in the seats routinely, buckle up.”
What’s the case for Shohei Ohtani?
Ohtani isn’t having the best start to his season, but the Dodgers are still in first place thanks in large part to his presence. Consider the three-run homer he hit in the ninth inning recently to cap a 14-11 comeback against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ohtani is the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season, and manager Dave Roberts is constantly shaking his head in awe.
“Between him and Barry Bonds, that’s the two best players I’ve ever seen,” Roberts told me. “I played with Barry, but what Sho does in the clutch — I’ve never seen anything like what he does in the clutch.”
After the win over the Diamondbacks on Friday, May 9, third baseman Max Muncy was asked if the team is already planning a party when Ohtani’s name is announced in situations like that.
“Yeah,” Muncy replied. “You’ve heard me say how many times? Sho keeps getting put in situations where you expect the incredible, and he rarely disappoints, and that was no exception there.”
How do their season stats compare?
So far, the 2025 numbers favor Judge over Ohtani and the entire league. His.410 batting average, 14 home runs, 40 RBIs, and 1.267 OPS lead the majors.
Ohtani is hitting.302 with 12 home runs and 21 RBIs for an OPS of 1.035. He’s also an All-Star pitcher recovering from Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
Another plus for Ohtani: He has a World Series ring, which he won in October 2024 by defeating the Yankees and Aaron Judge.
The league’s reigning MVPs will once again be All-Stars. Ohtani for the fifth time; Judge for the seventh. Are they on another World Series collision course? It is too early in the season to say, but if they stay healthy, the debate will rage on.
