In the 2021 MLB season, Toronto Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fought for the hitting Triple Crown and finished with a .311 batting average, 48 home runs, and 111 RBI.
He didn’t get a single first-place MVP vote, though: all of them went for the unanimous winner, Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani, after all, had a 3.18 ERA in 130.1 innings as a pitcher and hit 46 homers as a designated hitter.
This year, Ohtani has been just as dominant, if not better than 2021, but New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge has been even better than Guerrero was last year at the plate.
The Bombers star has a legit shot at the Triple Crown, with a .310 average, 57 homers, and 123 RBI with a couple of weeks to go.
Guerrero, out of the MVP race this year, was asked who he thought deserved the award more between Ohtani and Judge, the only two realistic contenders.
Guerrero Is On Judge’s Side
According to MLB insider Hector Gomez, this was his answer.
“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the 2022 AL MVP: ‘To be honest, I think if they give it to Shohei Ohtani it will be another steal. Aaron Judge’s numbers are way above Ohtani’s. Ohtani is an excellent player, but for me, the MVP has to be Aaron Judge,'” Gomez tweeted, quoting the Jays first baseman.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the 2022 AL MVP: "To be honest, I think if they give it to Shohei Ohtani it will be another steal. Aaron Judge's numbers are way above Ohtani's. Ohtani is an excellent player, but for me, the MVP has to be Aaron Judge."@z101digital @ZDeportes pic.twitter.com/nT59bSTJcZ
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) September 15, 2022
It’s noteworthy that Guerrero uses the phrase “another steal” in the scenario Ohtani won again.
He showed respect to Ohtani, saying he is an “excellent player”, but was inclined to give Judge, a fellow full-time batter like him, the edge this year.
We will know more about the AL MVP race in a few weeks, but while Judge should be the slight favorite, Ohtani has a legitimate case and could also win.
Stay tuned.
NEXT: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Joined A Special Group Of Sluggers