New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge believes Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero is worthy of being named American League MVP.
"I feel like he's an MVP," Judge said Tuesday, courtesy of ESPN's Marly Rivera.
"It's been pretty impressive. I remember even thinking back, I was talking with some of the guys in spring training - you know, he had a pretty impressive spring training - I said, 'Man, Vladdy's about to go off,' and sure enough, he did, man. Consistent at-bats. I know a lot of guys on that team have been having really good years, but he's the separator for them, I think."
Judge knows what it feels like to be a front-runner for the prestigious award. He finished second during his rookie campaign in 2017 when he hit 52 homers with 114 RBIs and 128 runs scored to go with a .284/.422/.627 slash line.
Guerrero is putting up similarly impressive numbers this season, hitting .313/.404/.598 with 46 homers, 105 RBIs, and 120 runs.
The young Blue Jays star also leads the AL in hits (183) and has a chance at the league's first Triple Crown since Miguel Cabrera in 2012. Entering Wednesday, Guerrero is second in homers, third in batting average, and sixth in RBIs.
Los Angeles Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani is Guerrero's stiffest competition for the AL MVP. Ohtani has 45 homers, seven triples, 98 RBIs, and 24 steals as a position player. As a pitcher, he is 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings.
