Yankees vs. Phillies World Series tops "Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge" dream matchup, says MLB insider

Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are two of the most recognizable names in baseball. As such, a 2024 World Series between Ohtani's LA Dodgers and Judge's NY Yankees has the potential to generate huge viewership. However, MLB insider Jeff Blair doesn't think the dream matchup would be the best for baseball.

On Tuesday's episode of Sportsnet's "Blair and Barker" show on YouTube, the veteran insider agreed Ohtani vs. Judge would produce good numbers in terms of viewership. However, he felt that the Phillies vs. Yankees World Series would be better for baseball in terms of quality.

"I mean, it’d be fun to watch Shohei [Ohtani] at Yankee [Stadium]," Blair said. "If you think about Shohei versus [Aaron] Judge in October at Yankee Stadium in the World Series, that is the one matchup that might resonate with a wider TV audience. I don’t know; I don’t think it would be the best baseball.

"Frankly, in terms of baseball, I think the Phillies and the Yankees would be better." [6:07]

What Blair mentioned makes sense, particularly as the Phillies have looked like the team to beat with sluggers like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Nick Castellanos, etc. Moreover, their ace pitcher Zack Wheeler is contending for the NL Cy Young Award this season.

A potential Harper vs. Judge matchup may not seem big for an international audience, but they have the star power to captivate the U.S. domestic market. Despite contrasting personalities, Judge and Harper are similar in their leadership qualities. Moreover, they have three MVPs between them.

Nevertheless, given Shohei Ohtani's global fame, the potential matchup between the Japanese star and America's best slugger looks far better than Judge vs. Harper in business terms.

Aaron Judge extends homer lead over Shohei Ohtani

The home run race between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani has heated up as the MLB goes into the final week of the regular season. Judge looked like the runaway leader, but the Yankees captain went through a slump, paving the way for the Japanese star to have an opportunity to overtake the 6-foot-7 Yankee.

Judge seems to have found the form he lost as he homered three times in his last three games. With his latest homer against the Baltimore Orioles, Judge took his tally to 56, three over Shohei Ohtani, who failed to hit one out of the park against the San Diego Padres.

Incidentally, the Yankees and Dodgers lost their matchups. A victory would have clinched the AL East title for New York. For Los Angeles, the loss has dampened its chance to clinch the NL West title, as the Padres are now just two wins away from overtaking it.