The Atlanta Braves

I honestly think it should go to Ohtani. I've interpreted MVP awards more of a "best player" thing even though it is literally called "most valuable player." Ohtani, because his team sucks, does not have a chance to get his team over the top and into the playoffs or into a division title. It never has made sense to me to hold that against a player. He cannot control that.

Ohtani is having a season whose only precedent is a past season by him. Don't you, almost by definition, have to give the award to him?
It’s the nature of many major sports awards isn’t it? The same debate happens for the Heisman often. Should the running back for Bama get it or the kid breaking records and ankles at a 9-3 MAC school.
 
It’s the nature of many major sports awards isn’t it? The same debate happens for the Heisman often. Should the running back for Bama get it or the kid breaking records and ankles at a 9-3 MAC school.
College is quite a bit different, IMO, because of the gap in talent between teams.
 
Let’s not act like Judge isn’t deserving. He’s maybe breaking records also before the season is done.
He is deserving, but the biggest reason I've heard as to why he should get it over Ohtani is because Judge has gotten his team into the playoffs/AL East winners. That's totally outside of his control and seems ridiculous to have that factor into who gets the award. If Judge was on the Dodgers, they would have won their division without him. Does that mean Judge's season isn't as good or valuable if he was a Dodger? When you carry that logic out it really makes no sense.

It seems like if you think Judge deserves it, you should do so because you've laid his numbers side-by-side Ohtani's and you think Judge's are simply better. Which is a totally reasonable opinion; WAR would tell you that Judge has given his team more wins than Ohtani has.
 
He is deserving, but the biggest reason I've heard as to why he should get it over Ohtani is because Judge has gotten his team into the playoffs/AL East winners. That's totally outside of his control and seems ridiculous to have that factor into who gets the award. If Judge was on the Dodgers, they would have won their division without him. Does that mean Judge's season isn't as good or valuable if he was a Dodger? When you carry that logic out it really makes no sense.

It seems like if you think Judge deserves it, you should do so because you've laid his numbers side-by-side Ohtani's and you think Judge's are simply better. Which is a totally reasonable opinion; WAR would tell you that Judge has given his team more wins than Ohtani has.
That’s where I’m at. Ohtani has been a very good hitter and a great pitcher this season. Judge has been an elite hitter, but obviously he doesn’t pitch. Maybe the difference in WAR reflects that.
 
That’s where I’m at. Ohtani has been a very good hitter and a great pitcher this season. Judge has been an elite hitter, but obviously he doesn’t pitch. Maybe the difference in WAR reflects that.
I thought this article did a pretty good job of explaining it. Essentially, Judge has been such a better hitter than Ohtani this year that Ohtani's pitching, even when combined with his hitting, isn't good enough to surpass Judge's WAR total.

IMO, as good as Judge's offensive season has been, there have been a handful of seasons like this before. What Ohtani is doing...I mean, how do you even describe it? How in the hell do you hit .268/.357/.534 with 34 bombs in 608 PAs, and throw 148 innings, strike out 196 hitters, and have a WHIP a shade over 1? It is just stupid how the same guy is able to do both, especially in the modern game.

Is WAR really capturing Ohtani's full value?
 
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