Aaron Judge put together one of the best offensive seasons of all time. Shohei Ohtani continued to defy expectations for what is possible as a two-way player.
With the 2022 MLB regular season now completed, voters will have to decide which of these two players is most deserving of the American League Most Valuable Player award.
Judge's pursuit of Roger Maris' 61 home runs put some distance between him and Ohtani in the oddsmakers' eyes, but that doesn't mean the race should be declared over. Ohtani, the reigning AL MVP, has improved his pitching while continuing to perform as one of the best power hitters in the sport.
MORE: Aaron Judge's Triple Crown chase
The Sporting News takes a look at Judge and Ohtani's season numbers. Stats are from Baseball Savant, Baseball Reference and Fangraphs.
Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: Power numbers
As impressive as Ohtani's power numbers were in 2022, there is no disputing which player commands this category. That would be the one who became just the sixth player ever to reach 60 home runs in a season.
Judge also collected a lot more extra-base hits and hit the ball harder, on average.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | Home runs | 34 |
| 90 | Extra-base hits | 70 |
| .686 | Slugging percentage | .519 |
| .375 | Isolated power | .246 |
| 95.9 mph | Average exit velocity | 93.0 mph |
| 118.4 mph | Max exit velocity | 119.1 mph |
MORE: Aaron Judge's home run pace
Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: Speed
There is no clear edge in the speed category. Judge has been a more efficient base-stealer with more infield singles, but Ohtani is the faster runner.
This season saw a drastic increase for Judge in stolen bases. He totaled 24 over his previous six seasons. Ohtani, on the other hand, has seen a decrease in swipes. He had 26 steals in 2021.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| 16/19 | Stolen bases/attempts | 11/20 |
| 10 | Infield hits | 9 |
| 27.3 feet per second | Sprint speed | 28.3 feet per second |
| 4.66 seconds | Home to first | 4.08 seconds |
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Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: On-base ability
As with the power, there is little dispute over who has the better numbers in this category. Judge competed for a batting title and racked up walks as pitchers were afraid to throw him strikes.
But when it comes to the plate discipline numbers, Ohtani is right there with his ability to take the free base when it is given to him.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| .311 | Average | .273 |
| .425 | On-base percentage | .356 |
| 15.9% | Walk rate | 10.8% |
| 25.1% | Strikeout rate | 24.2% |
| 29.2% | Whiff rate | 28.2% |
| 23.1% | Chase rate | 28.3% |
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Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: Defense
Both Judge and Ohtani posted defensive stats this year. Judge's came in the outfield — center and right field — while Ohtani only logged defensive stats from his time on the mound. He did appear in the outfield this season.
Judge rated in the 77th percentile for outs above average among outfielders as he continued to display standout defense.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Outs above average | -- |
| -0.6 feet vs. average | Outfielder jump | -- |
| 92.3 mph | Arm strength | -- |
MORE: Blue Jays fan Frankie Lasagna describes nearly catching Aaron Judge's 61st home run
Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: Pitching
Is this fair to Judge? Maybe not, but pitching has to be taken into account in any MVP conversation for Ohtani, just as outfield defense counts for Judge.
Ohtani is in the conversation for AL Cy Young, though he is a long shot to win the award at +10000, tied for fourth-best in the AL, according to Caesars Sportsbook.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| -- | Innings pitched | 166 |
| -- | ERA | 2.33 |
| -- | FIP | 2.40 |
| -- | Strikeouts | 219 |
| -- | Opp. Avg. | .203 |
| -- | Average exit velocity | 87.1 mph |
MORE: Roger Maris Jr. explains why Aaron Judge is MLB's true home run king
Aaron Judge vs. Shohei Ohtani: Value
There are a lot of different ways to compare Judge and Ohtani, but arguably the best is to look at stats like Wins Above Replacement and Win Probability Added as those stats take into account all the previous factors.
Ohtani presents some challenges when evaluating his WAR and WPA. These stats don't account for the value added of an extra roster spot that Ohtani is saving — though that roster spot would likely go to a replacement-level or worse player.
A look at some of those stats, according to Baseball Reference and Fangraphs, with Ohtani's batting and pitching numbers listed separately.
| Judge | Stat | Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| 10.6 | bWAR | 3.4 (batting), 6.1 (pitching) |
| 8.1 | bWPA | 2.2 (batting), 3.4 (pitching) |
| 11.4 | fWAR | 3.8 (batting), 5.6 (pitching) |
| 7.71 | fWPA | 2.17 (batting), 3.35 (pitching) |
