Aaron Judge Concedes Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani is MLB's Best Player

Maren Angus-Coombs | 6 Hours Ago

David Dermer-Imagn Images

Baseball fans around the globe feel a growing excitement for the start of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees.

It's also an exciting time for Yankees star Aaron Judge who is just as anxious to see Shohei Ohtani on the world's biggest stage.

Judge considers Ohtani “the best player in the game” and responded to questions about him on Tuesday.

"He's an impressive athlete, the best player in the game"

- Aaron Judge on Shohei Ohtani pic.twitter.com/ZPIgnynyui

— Yankees Videos (@snyyankees) October 22, 2024

“He hits for average, he hits for power, the speed,” Judge said. “Doing what he did this year with the 50 stolen bases, it got talked about a lot, but I don’t think it got talked about enough. He’s an impressive, impressive athlete, the best player in the game, and what an ambassador for this sport.

“ … You see him hustling around the diamond, and I think that just sets a great example for our youth and all the kids that are going to be watching this series.”

Consider Judge another fan of Ohtani.

The matchup between the two teams is already historic because of their history but it also featues the home run leaders in both leagues for the first time since 1956.

“We’ve had our battles throughout the regular season over the years when he was with the Angels, seeing him hit homers over my head,” Judge said. “But getting a chance to play on the biggest stage and in the biggest moment, I think that’s going to be pretty cool to watch.”

The two teams met in a three-game series at Yankee Stadium in June that could have been considered an appetizer to the main course.

During that series, Ohtani was 2-for-13 with four runs scored, one run batted in, and a walk.

“He’s a good hitter, but anybody is pitchable,” left-hander Carlos Rodón said on Tuesday. “I’m going to give him his credit: he’s a great hitter, he’s got tremendous power, he sees the ball well. He can drive the ball out of any ballpark. He can probably hit it out of any stadium – like, out of the stadium, not just over the fence.”

While Ohtani commands the respects he has been given, the Yankees also have a few power bats.

Dodgers fans may remember Giancarlo Stanton's power, and the Yankees have several players capable of launching long home runs as well. Facing Ohtani and the formidable Los Angeles lineup is a challenge the Yankees are ready to take on.

Regardless of the outcomes, this should be a Fall Classic fans will be talking about for decades to come.