Despite respect for Aaron Judge, ex-Yankees coach argues Shohei Ohtani was the rightful AL MVP in 2022

Two of the finest talents in the majors at the moment, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, can both make strong cases to be considered the best player in the MLB. Though Judge is probably slightly better when it comes to purely being a hitter, Ohtani's two-way prowess gives his game an extra dimension that few can boast.

This rivalry between the two was especially apparent back when Ohtani used to play for the LA Angels. The pair used to be perennial competitors for the AL MVP award. 2022 was arguably the most exciting battle for the award between the two as both Judge and Ohtani enjoyed superb seasons.

Judge broke the AL home run record with 62 homers, while also leading the league for RBIs (131) and OPS (1.111). Shohei Ohtani, on the other hand, finished with 34 home runs and 95 RBIs, while also pitching superbly, boasting a 15-9 record with a 2.33 ERA and 219 total strikeouts. Aaron Judge took home the AL MVP in the end.

However, former Yankees coach Phil Nevin argued that Ohtani's two-way excellence should have won him the prestigious prize despite Judge's dominance at the plate. Nevin elaborated on the debate on Thursday's episode of the "Diggin' Deep Podcast".

"Judge won it (AL MVP award) in 2022. If you look at it, Judge hit 60 homers, the numbers were ridiculous. But everybody just kinda discounted the fact that okay, Ohtani still had a 2.70 (ERA), and his offensive numbers (were still excellent). We're just going to think this is normal now? As long as he's doing this, he's the most valuable player in baseball," Nevin said. [1:08:00]

"I love Aaron Judge, and he's earned every bit of the MVP that he got, but it was a pretty tough argument (against Ohtani). ... I still look back at it and say, 'Until someone else is doing this, he (Ohtani) is the most valuable player in this game.' He can have a slightly down year and he's still the most valuable player in this game. I don't care what anybody else says," Nevin added.

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Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are enjoying MVP-caliber seasons yet again this year

The way Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are performing so far this season, it will not be surprising to see them walk away with more individual accolades come November.

Aaron Judge (L), Shohei Ohtani (R) (Images from - Getty)

Aaron Judge is currently batting .355 with 35 home runs and 81 RBIs. Shohei Ohtani, on the other hand, is batting .276 with 32 home runs and 60 RBIs at the moment, while also boasting a 1.00 ERA and 10 total strikeouts in the little he has pitched.

So we might see some more debates pretty soon this year on who desrved which award.