Aaron Judge’s 63-plus homers vs Shohei Ohtani’s 50-50 season: Who will make headlines first?

When it comes to modern superstars, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are in a league of their own. As the last month of the MLB season dawns, the two are chasing a respective feat that would set them apart.

On Aug. 21, Ohtani joined the 40-40 club in style, hammering a walk-off home run. In addition to joining the elite club of MLB players who have swiped 40 bases and hit 40 home runs, Ohtani only took 126 games to get there. The second-fastest player to conquer the feat was Alfonso Soriano, who took 147 games in 2006.

Ohtani now has his sights set on becoming the inaugural member of the 50-50 club.

"SHOHEI OHTANI WITH A WALK-OFF GRAND SLAM TO BECOME THE FIRST DODGER IN FRANCHISE HISTORY TO JOIN THE 40/40 CLUB." - Los Angeles Dodgers

Meanwhile, Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees is on pace to surpass a historical milestone of his own. The 6-foot-7 outfielder currently has an MLB-best 51 home runs, putting him within spitting distance of breaking the single-season MLB home run record of 62, which he himself set in 2022.

So the question remains: which star will achieve his milestone first?

Judge's 51 home runs have come over 138 games, meaning that the Yankees star has homered, on average, every 3.6 games. With the Yankees having 22 games remaining in their schedule, Judge will need to homer virtually every other game to hit 63.

"Aaron Judge has not hit a home run in his last nine games which is his longest streak this season" - Talkin' Yanks

For Ohtani, the path to history appears clearer. Now touting 44 home runs and 46 steals, the Los Angeles Dodgers star has 22 games to hit six homers and steal four more bases. Considering Ohtani has more than two steals in nine games this season, it looks like the Japanese superstar will hit 50-50, while 63 homers for Judge might be a bridge too far.

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are both MVP contenders already

Whether or not they reach their respective milestones, Judge and Ohtani have been incredibly productive this season. With the possible challenger to Judge coming from Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals, it looks like both men will achieve the MVP Award in their respective leagues.

Moreover, do not expect this to be the last time that Ohtani and Judge find themselves on the precipice of history.