Case Closed: Aaron Judge is the Best

One day last week, I was in the routine of most of my workdays. I left the office around 5:30 and turned to “Evan and Tikki” on WFAN as the soundtrack for my commute home. The guys (Evan Roberts, Tikki Barber, Shaun Morash and Tommy Lugauer) were debating who was the better player, Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. Lugauer was firmly in Camp Ohtani while the other three gentlemen sided with Judge. At this point, until Ohtani pitches, it’s not even a question of who is better. There is no debate. Anyone can see who is the best player in Major League Baseball.

It’s Aaron Judge and it’s not even close.

One thing I hate about these debates is that it is so easy to put down the player you oppose almost as much, if not more than praising the player you favor. In no way should Ohtani be slighted. Judge is simply having one of the most historical seasons in over 130 years of Major League Baseball. We are nearly 42% of the way through the season and Judge still has .400 in his sights, batting .392. If you look on his baseball reference page, most offensive statistics are in bold, an indication that he ranks first in all of these categories. He is on pace to set career highs in nearly every offensive category. Heck, with six stolen bases, he has an outside shot of eclipsing 20 steals for the first time in his career. All of this on top resuming his Gold Glove caliber defense in right field. Some may hit more home runs (hello Cal Raleigh) or could eventually surpass him in batting average (Jacob Wilson, anyone?) but there is not a player alive who will come close to matching Judge’s all around greatness in 2025.

All that could change depending on how often Shohei Ohtani pitches this season and if he can dominate like he did in 2022. If he can sniff those numbers from 2022 or even 2023, then the “no debate” argument will swing the other way. Until that happens, the case is closed: Aaron Judge is the best that Major League Baseball has to offer.

Author: Tom Lynch

Family is everything to me. Baseball is a close second. What better way to combine my two favorite passions than to write about them! My three children each have a different baseball team, hence the title, "Three Unassisted". I write about not only my thoughts but also the musings of Ryan (Yankees), Caitlyn (Phillies) and Matthew (Mets). I may have grown up a Yankees fan but since family is greater than ball, I also root for the Phillies and Mets. I love talking about my kids. I love talking about baseball. That lethal combination will keep you coming back for more. Happy reading! View all posts by Tom Lynch