Aaron Judge, outfielder, New York Yankees
It’s hard to separate Judge from his power. The Yankees’ rookie has slugged an MLB leading 17 home runs, tied a rookie record for home runs in April and set a rookie record for home runs in 25 games. When Judge is batting, there is a genuine feeling that something special might happen.
Judge’s power alone makes him an MVP candidate. But to talk only about his power would be doing him an incredible disservice.
Judge is slashing at .327/.428/.690. Those totals are of course aided by his home runs, but he’s not a one-trick pony. This guy can just flat out hit. He has also stolen four bases. No, that’s not going to remind anyone of Rickey Henderson. But it is enough that opposing pitchers have to respect Judge when he’s on the bases. Attention paid to him is attention not paid to the hitter.
Additionally, while Judge is certainly known for his bat, he’s made some nice plays in the field.
All rise for @TheJudge44. #guyiseverywhere #teamworkmakesthedreamwork pic.twitter.com/kgy0WPQCoO
— CC Sabathia (@CC_Sabathia) May 27, 2017
Lastly, while team performance is not always the greatest barometer for an MVP in baseball, the Yankees are in first place. Not only is New York in first place, but it leads a division where four teams have a winning record, and the other is only one game under .500.
Judge deserves a great deal of credit for that.