We get it. New York Yankees fans have been here before. The Mike Trout/Shohei Ohtani discussion has been ongoing over the past six years. And there’s a discourse to be had. Just because you have the most WAR doesn’t mean you should be MVP. There should be narratives tied to it.
That was what Yankees fans argued in 2022, when Judge broke the AL home run record with 62 blasts and led New York to 99 wins and a division title. Yet there were still Ohtani truthers out there fighting until their last breath that he should’ve won because of his representative offensive stats and incredible season on the mound.
The only problem? The Angels finished 73-89 and fired their manager (Joe Maddon) after a 27-29 start. They finished 33 games back of the Houston Astros in the AL West. Ohtani was indeed as valuable as they come, but his individual efforts did little to make Anaheim even a quasi-contender.
Fast forward to 2025, and that argument has evolved. Both Judge and Cal Raleigh are neck-and-neck in the race, and those who have “Judge fatigue” after he won two of the last MVP awards are grasping for every last straw when it comes to Raleigh’s case.
To be clear: Raleigh is absolutely deserving of the award, but the Ben Verlanders of the world are actually belittling the Mariners star’s case because … he’s just doing everything he can to try and divert everyone’s eyes away from Judge.
This is my favorite …… pump the brakes in August… hands the MVP to Raleigh the beginning of July pic.twitter.com/4TAYsEUPFc
https://twitter.com/realboshek/status/1971245111830008069?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
He did this last year with Bobby Witt Jr. Remember that hilarious argument? The only edge Witt Jr. had over Judge? His .332 average and league-leading 211 hits. Both impressive numbers, but not MVP worthy if those are the only legs you have to stand on. Then came the “he single-handedly got the Royals to the playoffs, though!” Ok, and what about Judge? He got even better with Juan Soto next to him in the lineup and led the Yankees to another division crown.
Verlander tried to keep the Witt conversation going in August, telling everyone to relax before handing Judge the MVP because it was too early. This year? He was telling people in July that Raleigh was the MVP.
So when is it too early, Ben? Just when you decide? Or just whenever Judge is mentioned as the runaway? Comment below!
It’d be unfair if we failed to mention Verlander is not alone here. Dan Patrick told Jeff Passan in an interview on his show that he has “Aaron Judge fatigue,” which, again, is nowhere close to the Trout or Ohtani fatigue we have experienced since both of those guys started winning MVPs. In fact, if you had an opposing stance regarding either of them, you were a troll.
https://twitter.com/dpshow/status/1971253061722177966?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1971253061722177966%7Ctwgr%5Ee2a472e22e584f7d9f53d759a94c4fafc2a0f2e2%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fyanksgoyard.com%2Fben-verlander-s-mvp-hypocrisy-proves-he-just-biased-against-aaron-judge
But because it’s the Yankees, and the Mariners have completely sucked wind for 25 years, Raleigh’s argument will gain steam among the some boisterous media personalities and the silent majority/hipster community. This is just how it goes.
Truth be told, most Yankees fans wouldn’t be upset if Raleigh won the award. He legitimately has the numbers and the storybook finish New York fans were lobbying for something similar back in 2022 while they backed Judge. The only aspect of this that’s frustrating is the blatant efforts to rile the rest of the baseball community against Judge, as if we’re banding together to fight some evil force. Not only that, but attempting to rally the troops in … July? Before the end of the first half of the season?
The voters will decide, but there’s no reason to divide the baseball community over who will get the MVP award because of who you — not a voter — prefer.
