"He is the best baseball player to ever play baseball" - Former Yankees superstar CC Sabathia claims Angels' Shohei Ohtani is the clear choice for 2022 AL MVP

Most New York Yankees fans are leaning toward Aaron Judge over Shohei Ohtani in the voting for the American League MVP Award. C.C. Sabathia, however, has always been a little different. The former Yankees ace pitcher has come out defiantly in support of Shohei Ohtani for the tightly contested award. Both players are having phenomenal seasons, and arguments can be made for either case.

There may be some favoritism and bias here as Sabathia was a pitcher himself. He understands how much work goes into preparation when you are a starting pitcher.

"He is the best baseball player to ever play baseball," said C.C. Sabathia.

Ohtani's ability to excel on both offense and defense is unique. It is one of the main factors why many believe the Japanese sensation deserves to repeat this year. C.C. Sabathia insists that on this issue, there is no debate.

"Judge or Ohtani for AL MVP? The Clubhouse crew chimes in on the debate." - MLB Network

The AL MVP has been a hotly debated issue this year. Fans all over the world have voiced opinions on the matter over the last few months. Ohtani is reaching the same heights as his previous MVP season. Judge is having a record-breaking season that could go down as one of the greatest offensive seasons ever. There is very little between the two.

Speaking on MLB Network, Sabathia made one very key point. For him, the issue comes down to the fact that Ohtani plays both ways.

"He's the MVP. Every year that he is healthy and he continues to get better as a pitcher, you got to give him the MVP," added Sabathia.

On the surface, it is difficult to compare the two players. Shohei Ohtani is hitting .267/.356/.538 on the season with a .894 OPS. He has contributed with 34 home runs and 88 RBIs and is ranked in the top five in the AL in both those categories.

Shohei Ohtani ranks in the top 10 in MLB in strikeouts and home runs this season

Shohei Ohtani runs the bases against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.

As a pitcher, Ohtani has been exceptional. He has a 12-8 record this season, achieving a career-high number of wins. He has a 2.55 ERA which ranks him in the top 10 in the category among qualified starting pitchers. Perhaps the most impressive statistic is his 188 strikeouts, which also ranks in the top 10 in MLB.

"Most strikeouts per 9 innings, qualified MLB pitchers: Shohei Ohtani, 12.00 Carlos Rodón, 11.73 Gerrit Cole, 11.45 Dylan Cease, 11.44 Corbin Burnes, 11.20 Shane McClanahan, 11.12" - Codify

Aaron Judge ranks highly in almost all major offensive categories. He leads the league in home runs, RBIs, slugging, OPS, and runs. He ranks second in on-base percentage and ranks in the top 10 in total hits. If he does break Roger Maris' 61-year-old record for AL home runs, it will be an historic achievement.

Sabathia did go on to say that he understands everything Aaron Judge has done for the Yankees organization. Shohei Ohtani, however, is a once-in-a-lifetime generational talent. Rarely do we see someone who has mastered two very difficult skillsets at such a high level. For Sabathia, there is no question who should be this year's AL MVP.