The debate of who is baseball’s best player is as old as the game itself. However, for the past few years, only two players have managed to become the focal point of the debate: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. Both of them are titans of the game, and their fans have been trading blows for a while now to prove their idol is the MVP.
In a recent post on X by analyst Jacob P.M. has sparked fresh discussion, highlighting a gap between the New York Yankees’ slugger and the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way star that’s turning up to be too hard to ignore.
Stats Offering New Angle To The Aaron Judge Vs Shohei Ohtani Debate
Jacob P.M. pointed out a remarkable contrast in the weighted Runs Created Plus (wRC+) stat, this metric measures a player’s offensive output adjusted for ballpark and league context. Judge’s wRC+ sits at an astronomical 247, while Ohtani’s is a still-impressive 175.
The wRC+ difference between Judge and Ohtani (72) is greater than the difference between Ohtani and Volpe. (58)
Judge wRC+: 247
Ohtani wRC+: 175
Volpe wRC+: 117How can you not say Aaron Judge is the best player in baseball? pic.twitter.com/XFJbdq3flS
— Jacob P.M.🌔 (@JacobBSpeaks) June 11, 2025
Yankees shortstop Anthony Volpe clocks in at only 117. The 72-point gap between Judge and Ohtani is larger than the 58-point difference between Ohtani and Volpe. For the analyst, this difference is enough to call Judge “the best player in baseball. However, this one stat difference is not enough to close the debate for good in our eyes.
Judge and Ohtani’s Masterclass Stats
Judge’s 2025 numbers so far have been extraordinary. He’s batting .391 with 86 hits and a 1.249 OPS, leading the American League in multiple categories. This follows a 2024 campaign where he hit .322 with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, and a 1.159 OPS, earning the AL MVP with an OPS+ of 223.
Over his career, spanning approximately 993 games, Judge holds a .294 average, 333 homers, and a 1.022 OPS, with a career fWAR of 56.8. His consistency at the plate has made him a reliable and lasting talent for his team.
On the other hand, Ohtani’s performance stats are also something to marvel at. In 2025, he’s leading the National League with 20 homers, 59 runs scored, and a 1.045 OPS. Last year, despite not pitching due to elbow surgery, he made history as the first player to record a 50/50 season.
He scored 54 home runs and 59 stolen bases, while hitting .310 with 130 RBIs and a 1.036 OPS, securing the NL MVP. Across approximately 860 career games, Ohtani has a .282 average, 245 homers, and a .952 OPS, with a 46.7 fWAR. As a pitcher, he has a 3.01 ERA and a 31.5% strikeout rate over 86 starts, making his dual-threat ability unparalleled.
Who Is The Best?
Although Jacob’s stat points to Judge’s offensive dominance in 2025, Ohtani’s two-way brilliance also makes him unparalleled. As the season unfolds, Judge’s bat might carry the Yankees deep into October, while Ohtani’s return to the mound could tip the scales for the Dodgers.
With these elite athletes making new records each day, it is clear that this debate is far from settled, and baseball is better for it.