Shohei Ohtani vs. Aaron Judge stats comparision: Who is the better MLB player?

Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are regarded as two of the best players in the modern game of baseball. Both men are Rookie of the Year award winners. Both have also captured the hearts and minds of fans worldwide.

If Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge put up the same numbers on the Yankees, Ohtani would win the AL MVP and deservedly so. Sure Aaron Judge has hit 27 more home runs than Ohtani, but Ohtani has made 27 starts, with a 2.35 ERA, 2.44 FIP. Ohtani will never not be ridiculous." - Doug McKain via Twitter

If their stats were broken down, who would have the edge? Although both players have different strengths and weaknesses, we will try to break it down here as best as we can. Who is the better MLB player?

Comparing two of the best players in the MLB: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani

Shohei Ohtani is a player like baseball has never before seen

Judge of the New York Yankees and Ohtani of the LA Angels are both top of the class. Let's take a look at some key metrics at play between the two.

The first thing to consider is that Ohtani is a pitcher, as well as a hitter, while Judge has never made an MLB start in his life. For that reason alone, Ohtani must be better.

However, Judge is a hitter like that which baseball has never seen. Judge currently has 61 home runs, by far the most in the MLB. Judge has hit home runs in over 10% of his total plate appearances this season, which makes him as strong a hitter as the MLB has ever seen.

Judge also hits for power. His slugging percentage this season is a league-leading .689. Throughout his career, Judge has a .583 slugging percentage. This puts Judge's SLG 50 points higher than Ohtani, even though Judge joined the league two years prior to Ohtani. Judge has hit an average of 31 home runs over his career. Meanwhile, Ohtani has hit approximately 25.

Another statistic that is not considered as much as it should be is the ability to walk. For such a heavy swinger, Judge has impeccable patience. Judge has led the MLB twice in walks, with only about 8% being intentional over the course of his career. Ohtani has demonstrated less patience at the plate, as intentional walks account for over 14% of his career walks. Last year, Ohtani led the league in Intentional Bases on Balls (IBB).

On the base path, Ohtani is notably more aggressive than Judge. Ohtani has 66 stolen bases over the last five seasons, and Judge has only 40.

"61 years since 61. Aaron Judge has written his name alongside Roger Maris in baseball's record books." - @ New York Yankees

So who, then, is better? Well, Judge leads Ohtani in nearly every hitting category, taking into account that he has played longer. But one cannot forget that Ohtani is a lethal pitcher and can play a whole different side of the game. By reviewing their stats, it can be surmised that, although Aaron Judge is a marginally better hitter, Shohei Ohtani is a better all-around player.