The Face-off: “The best player in baseball, other than Shohei Ohtani is…”

“The best player in baseball, other than Shohei Ohtani is…”

Dylan:

Aaron Judge. You can blame my New York Yankee fandom if you want, but if you put any ounce of thought into the subject, you’ll have to agree. The best way to argue this point is by looking at MLB.com's “Top 100 Players Right Now” list that was finalized on Wednesday, Feb. 24. 

Each preseason, MLB writers release a list that ranks the top 100 players in the game heading into the upcoming regular season campaign. The top five players in this year’s ranking from worst to best are Los Angeles Dodgers’ first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers’ designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, Yankees’ center fielder Aaron Judge, Dodgers’ second baseman Mookie Betts, and Atlanta Braves’ right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr. 

One thing we can all agree on is that Ohtani is only ranked fourth, and doesn’t top the entire list, simply because an elbow surgery last September will keep him from pitching for the entirety of 2024. From there, when deciding who the best player in the game is, we must compare the other players ranked in the top five of this annual list; Freeman, Judge, Betts, and Acuña Jr. 

When looking at Judge compared to Freeman, the Yankees’ slugger has played in considerably fewer games while tallying a higher slugging percentage, on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), wins above replacement (WAR) total, and more home runs since he entered the league full-time in 2017. In the same period, Judge has recorded more home runs and runs batted in (RBIs), while putting together a higher on-base percentage (OBP), slugging percentage, and OPS than Betts. Finally, while compared with Acuña Jr., Judge has more home runs, RBIs, and higher OBP, slugging percentage, and OPS totals than the Braves’ star who debuted in 2018. 

If that isn't enough —-because this is a list of the best players right now— we should also compare these players on a more recent timeline: let’s say the past two seasons. In that period, Judge still leads Freeman, Betts, and Acuña Jr. in all the same categories as the larger sample size. On top of that, Judge bests Freeman in Silver Slugger awards, has been an All-Star in both 2022 and 2023, and is only matched in MVP awards by Acuña Jr.

Some may point to the fact that the three other players compared to Judge have championships under their belt, but baseball is a team sport and Judge is the perfect example of a player who has done everything he can and is consistently failed by those around him. Looking solely at a player-to-player basis, it is clear that Aaron Judge is the best player in baseball, other than Shohei Ohtani. 

Nathan:

Ronald Acuña Jr. Despite my fandom with the New York Yankees, I can accept that Aaron Judge is simply not better than the Braves’ right fielder. Many feared for his success after a knee injury that left him on the bench during Atlanta’s 2021 World Series run and through the beginning of their 2022 campaign. He returned to the Braves in April 2022, however, and recorded 15 home runs, 29 steals, and carried a .764 OPS through 119 games. Not only did he greatly exceed all expectations in the 2022 season, but he had an outstanding performance in 2023.

Acuña Jr. became the first player in MLB history to record 40 or more home runs and steal 70 or more bases in the same season. He tallied 41 home runs and stole a whopping 73 bases while leading the Braves to the postseason. Sadly for them, Atlanta was bounced very early from the playoffs, but as previously stated, baseball is not an individual sport. For his efforts in the 2023 season, Acuña Jr. was unanimously voted as the National League’s (NL) Most Valuable Player and named to the All-MLB First Team. He also took home the NL Hank Aaron Award, his third Silver Slugger Award, and led the National League in stolen bases, again.

Last season, Acuña Jr. bested Aaron Judge in batting average, home runs, runs batted in, and stolen bases. His .337 batting average was amongst the highest in baseball and is especially impressive given his 643 at-bats. Judge’s batting average was .267, a respectable number, but only had to be carried through his 367 at-bats. 

Looking into the 2024 season, Acuña Jr. is again battling a knee injury but is expected to be cleared for Opening Day. Much like last season, he can be expected to put up incredible numbers and perhaps become the first player to reach yet another monumental milestone.