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Shohei Ohtani etched his name into Dodgers and MLB history books on Friday after a dramatic win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Dodger Stadium on Friday. Following the Japanese phenom's historic night, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts dabbled in the conversation of a comparison with another superstar, Aaron Judge.
Ohtani registered his 40th stolen base of the season in the fourth inning of the Rays game and followed up with a dramatic walk-off grand slam in the bottom ninth. His bases-clearing home run was his 40th of the season, making him the first player in Dodgers history to make the illustrious 40-40 club.
The two-time NL MVP is making a strong case for a third MVP title after becoming only the sixth and the fastest player to the 40-40 mark. However, another MLB superstar who's sending shockwaves around the league is New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge.
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Judge homered for a fourth straight game on Friday, taking his home run tally to a league-leading 49th for the season.
At his current pace, he's likely to equal his AL record of 62 home runs in a season set in 2022. Although Roberts acknowledged the Yankees captain's MVP-calibre season, he gave Ohtani the nod.
“I just don’t see anyone any better. Obviously Judge is in the conversation, but man, I’d take Shohei,” Roberts said.
It's likely that Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge will pick the MVP awards in their respective leagues, with the two MLB goliaths expected to drive their teams to the postseason.
Shohei Ohtani adds another dimension to his offensive arsenal
Following a blockbuster $700 million move to the Dodgers, experts and fans speculated about Shohei Ohtani's contribution to the team, as the two-way phenom was ruled out from pitching in 2024 after undergoing Tommy John Surgery last year.
As Ohtani's two-way ability was restricted for the season, the Japanese superstar added another offensive attribute to his game. He has bested his previous career-best tally of 26 stolen bases with the Angels in 2021 and is on pace for 50 this season.
Shohei Ohtani struck a career-high 46 home runs in his first MVP-winning campaign in 2021 and 44 homers in his second MVP triumph in 2023. However, at his current pace, he's projected to hit the 50-home run mark, becoming the first player to reach the 50-50 mark.
