MLB MVP Race: Shohei Ohtani Inching Closer to Slumping Judge in AL MVP Odds
MLB MVP Race: Shohei Ohtani Inching Closer to Slumping Judge in AL MVP Odds
The Yankees have slumped to start the second half of the season. By saying it's a slump is putting it slightly. The Yankees have been terrible and that's basically due to Aaron Judge slumping. He was carrying the Yankees throughout the season but now that he's slumping, the entire team is slumping. Because Judge hasn't performed all that well recently, can Shohei Ohtani overtake Aaron Judge for the AL MVP? Let's look at the AL MVP odds.
AL MVP Odds
| AL MVP Candiate | Odds | Implied Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Shohei Ohtani | +370 | 21% |
| Aaron Judge | -470 | 82% |
Aaron Judge's Slump Could Hurt his AL MVP Chances
Aaron Judge has a .295 average along with 46 home runs and 102 RBIs on the season. He leads the MLB in home runs and is tied with 102 RBIs to Pete Alonso. Still, Judge has the most RBIs in the American League. In April, he hit six home runs and then went on a tear throughout May, June, and July, hitting at least 11 home runs in each month. In August, however, he's only hit four home runs and has a .281 average. But despite the .281 average, he's still hitting an OPS of 1.015 in the month. But in the last 10 days, Judge has a .160 average with no home runs. It's a bad slump at a terrible time for the Yankees. But ultimately, he's still been the most consistent hitter in the MLB. Plus, he still has a chance at hitting 60 or more home runs on the season. That's unheard of in the MLB these days.
Shohei Ohtani Is Inching Closer in AL MVP Race
Ultimately, Ohtani is the most valuable player. He's a hitter and pitcher and no other player in the MLB does this. But his team is struggling as a whole and that will hurt his chances of winning the MVP award. He's 10-7 with a 2.69 ERA and has pitched incredibly well in the last month or so. He's earned 165 strikeouts and is eighth in the league in that regard. However, when he won the award last year, most pointed toward his hitting stats. They were incredible. This year, his batting numbers aren't nearly as good. He's hitting just .266 with only 27 home runs. Last year he knocked 46 home runs on the season. Judge already has 46 homers and has carried his team to a winning record and a probable division victory. Ohtani is inching closer, but Judge still has the AL MVP in the bag at the end of the day.
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Jason grew up an avid sports fan. His passion for sports writing grew in high school and he developed a blog that was strictly for New York Sports. From his work, you will quickly realize that he loves looking at games from an analytical and numbers perspective and hopes to provide you with that same perspective in his articles.