As of June 17, Judge has slashed.299/.425/.686, leading MLB in OPS (1.111), home runs (26), RBIs (64), and walks (57), while sitting second in on-base percentage (.425) and doubles (22). Soto, in his first season with the Yankees, leads the league in on-base percentage (.433), is second in OPS (1.025), fifth in batting average (.315), RBIs (55) and sixth in home homers (18).
Race for the AL MVP
Heyman noted in his June 16 analysis that Judge and Soto aren’t the only sluggers in contention for AL MVP this season, but they are the most apparent options.
“Cases certainly also could be made for Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson, Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Guardians third baseman José Ramírez,” Heyman stated. “However, a look at the stat leaderboard is evident. Judge leads in the majority of categories, with Soto coming in second.
Henderson has been dominant for the Baltimore Orioles since his debut in August 2022, but this season he has improved his performance. As of June 17, the 22-year-old was hitting.274/.370/.588, ranking seventh in MLB in OPS (.958) and second in home runs (22), trailing only Judge.
Bobby Witt Jr. of the Kansas City Royals leads the MLB in hitting average (.327) and is on pace for a career-best season with 11 home runs and 51 RBIs. José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians is enjoying a very great year, slashing.269/.330/.534, with 62 RBIs (second-best in MLB) and 18 home runs.
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Still, it’s difficult to argue that Judge and Soto appear to be in a league of their own, with The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal speculating on June 7 that the two sluggers may be “the best combination of a right- and left-handed hitter in the history of the game.”
And, if Judge has his way, Soto will win the AL MVP award this season.
“Juan’s definitely got my vote based on what he’s done all year, coming up big and making great defensive plays,” Judge told Heyman on June 16. “He’s always on base for me. He makes my job much easier. “He and [Anthony] Volpe are the driving force behind this offence.”
The Yankees are still in contention for the World Series.
As of June 17, the Yankees led MLB with a record of 50-24 and a run differential of +124, but they have yet to pull away from the pack. After the Yankees dropped two straight games to the Boston Red Sox over the weekend of June 16, the Orioles and Philadelphia Phillies are now only 1.5 games back, putting pressure on New York to tighten up its roster.
While Judge and Soto have been unstoppable this season, there are apparent weaknesses in the remainder of the Yankees’ order. With the July 30 trade deadline approaching, Fox Sports’ Deesha Thosar predicted on June 7 that retooling the right side of the infield will be a priority.
“”Anthony Rizzo, in particular, disappointed with a career-low OPS in the final year of his Yankees contract,” Thosar said. “Gleyber Torres had a better May than he did April, and he’s been serviceable since coming out of that early-season slump, but he still sports an 81 OPS+ and has been embroiled in trade rumours throughout his Yankees tenure.”
According to Thosar, “Rizzo and Torres … have been able to hide behind the behemoth that is Judge/Soto/[Giancarlo] Stanton, but if there’s a deal that makes sense to upgrade the right side of the infield, the Yankees should take it.”
The Yankees have gone 14 seasons without winning an AL Championship, and after a disappointing 2023, they entered this season with a lot to show. With Judge and Soto leading the way, the Yankees have World Series potential, but cleaning up the rest of the offence at the trade deadline will be critical.
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