Aaron Judge will very likely win MVP again. But the race isn’t quite over.
At least it shouldn’t be.
Even putting aside that Bobby Witt Jr. is tied with Judge atop Fangraphs fWAR at 9.6 and only slightly behind in bWAR (9.5 to 9.1), Witt is having a comparably compelling season.
Aaron Judge connects on a RBI single in the seventh inning during the Yankees’ win over the Royals on Sept. 9, 2024. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POSTJudge’s power and overall numbers are eye-popping (his 217 OPS plus ranks with all-time greats), he’s a fine center fielder (and perhaps that extra responsibility explains why he’s slumped lately), and he takes his captaincy seriously.
Judge leads MLB in home runs (51), RBIs (126), on-base percentage (.454), slugging (.686) and OPS (1.140), and Witt leads in batting average (.333), runs (120) and hits (195). And as great at Judge is in the clutch, Witt has been even better. Witt leads the AL with a .379 batting average and 1.166 OPS with runners in scoring position, and has a .366/.446/.648 slash line close and late.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. throws the ball to first base for an out during the eighth inning during their recent series against the Yankees in The Bronx. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConPlus, Witt, a brilliant shortstop, is third in MLB with 18 outs above average.
And as vital as Judge is, Witt has a young team in payoff position off its 56-win season in 2023.
