Like last season, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge seem to be on a different level from the rest of the Major League players.
Ohtani, the 2024 National League MVP, had a dazzling start with the reigning MLB champion Dodgers, but on the other side, the American League Most Valuable Player had his answer.
Judge’s numbers at the end of April are astonishing and he is the undisputed leader in the early race for MVP this season after a great showing from the New York Yankees captain.
Analyst Jared Carrabis had no hesitation in saying: “There is a significant gap in the American League MVP race. In my short list of two, there is only one who is within striking distance of the leader, and that leader is Aaron Judge”.
Judge’s offense in April is outstanding with a batting average of .427, an on-base percentage of .521, slugging of .761 and an OPS of 1.282. He leads MLB in almost every major offensive category.
Despite having an offensive line of .264/.366/.506 with six home runs and five stolen bases, Ohtani has yet to pitch while continuing to recover from elbow surgery, something that could change the script in favor of the Japanese.
But someone else could overshadow them.
The phantom menace looms from Seattle
Jorge Polanco, the Seattle Mariners offseason acquisition, is shining with a .384 average, nine home runs and 25 RBIs, so he’s quietly turning heads in the Pacific Northwest.
What makes Polanco’s takeoff even more compelling is the confidence that emanates from the Mariners’ locker room.
The team’s president of baseball operations, Jerry Dipoto, put it succinctly.
“We’re glad to have Polo back. He’s a low-key player who knows us, and we know him. The physical and mental toughness he showed last season earned the respect of the entire team,” Dipoto said.
It is that combination of resilience and elite production that is putting Polanco on the radar, not only for Comeback Player of the Year, but also in the early rounds of debate for MVP.
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