Ah, the endless MVP carousel in Major League Baseball—where stats collide with stories, and biases bubble up like bad umpiring calls. New York Yankees fans know this rodeo all too well. For years, we’ve endured the Mike Trout vs. Shohei Ohtani debates, where raw talent and WAR (Wins Above Replacement) reign supreme, but team impact? That’s apparently optional—unless, of course, you’re Aaron Judge. Suddenly, narratives matter, fatigue sets in, and the goalposts shift faster than a stolen base.
Let’s rewind to 2022, a year etched in Yankees lore. Aaron Judge shattered the American League home run record with a jaw-dropping 62 bombs, powering the Bronx Bombers to 99 wins and a division title. It was the stuff of legends: a homegrown hero carrying his team to glory. Yet, the Ohtani loyalists—led by voices like Ben Verlander—clung to their pitchforks, insisting Shohei’s dual-threat wizardry (elite hitting paired with Cy Young-level pitching) made him the true MVP. Never mind that Ohtani’s Los Angeles Angels limped to a dismal 73-89 record, firing manager Joe Maddon mid-season after a sputtering start. They finished a whopping 33 games behind the Houston Astros in the AL West, nowhere near playoff contention. Ohtani was a unicorn, sure, but his brilliance couldn’t drag Anaheim out of irrelevance. Team success? Irrelevant, they argued. Individual value was king.
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Fast-forward to 2025, and the script has flipped—or rather, twisted into a pretzel of hypocrisy. Now, it’s Judge neck-and-neck with Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the MVP hunt. Raleigh’s having a monster year, no doubt—crushing clutch homers, anchoring a resurgent Mariners squad that’s finally sniffing postseason air after a quarter-century drought. He’s got the numbers, the grit, and that underdog narrative that’s catnip for voters. Yankees fans get it; many wouldn’t even begrudge him the hardware. It’s a legitimate race.
But enter the “Judge fatigue” brigade, spearheaded by none other than Ben Verlander. Fresh off his failed crusade for Bobby Witt Jr. last year—where he hyped Witt’s .332 batting average and 211 hits as MVP gold, while conveniently ignoring Judge’s superior overall impact and the Yankees’ division crown—Verlander’s at it again. Last season, he preached patience in August, urging everyone to pump the brakes on crowning Judge too soon. “It’s too early!” he cried, as Witt’s Royals clawed into the playoffs. Fair enough, right? But this year? By July—before the All-Star break, mind you—he’s already anointing Raleigh the MVP frontrunner. So, Ben, when exactly is “too early”? Only when it suits your anti-Judge agenda? This isn’t subtle; it’s a glaring double standard.
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And here’s where it gets egregious: Verlander’s Ohtani favoritism exposes the bias for what it is. In 2022, he and his ilk dismissed team context entirely for Shohei, elevating individual feats above all else. Ohtani’s Angels were a trainwreck, but that didn’t matter—his value was “transcendent.” Yet now, with Judge dominating once more (leading in homers, OPS, and WAR while steering the Yankees to yet another AL East title), Verlander pivots to team narratives for Raleigh. The Mariners’ turnaround? That’s the tiebreaker! Judge’s consistent excellence? Yawn, fatigue. It’s not about consistency; it’s about cherry-picking arguments to sideline the Yankee star. This isn’t opinion anymore—it’s pure, unadulterated bias.
Verlander’s not flying solo in this echo chamber. Radio host Dan Patrick confessed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan about his own “Aaron Judge fatigue,” as if two MVPs in recent years make Judge’s dominance boring. Compare that to the Trout and Ohtani eras: Dissent against those Angels darlings branded you a troll or a hater. But Judge? Suddenly, it’s open season. Why? Because it’s the Yankees—the Evil Empire, the big-market behemoth everyone loves to hate. And the Mariners? Their long-suffering fans deserve a hero after decades of mediocrity. Fair points, but weaponizing them to manufacture division? That’s just lazy clickbait.
Look, Yankees faithful aren’t here to gatekeep the MVP. If Raleigh edges out Judge with a Hollywood ending—maybe a walk-off bomb to clinch a wild-card spot—we’d tip our caps. He’s earned the buzz with his power, defense, and leadership. What grinds our gears is the blatant campaign to villainize Judge, rallying the baseball world against him like he’s some corporate overlord. Starting this nonsense in July? Come on. The season’s a marathon, not a sprint to the hot-take factory.
In the end, the voters—those BBWAA guardians of the game—will cast their ballots based on merit, not memes. There’s no need to fracture the baseball community over personal preferences. Let’s celebrate both stars for what they are: generational talents pushing their teams toward October glory. But Ben, if you’re reading this: Drop the double standard. Treat Judge with the same grace you gave Ohtani. Anything less? That’s not analysis—it’s agenda. What do you think, fans? Sound off in the comments!