MLB insider criticizes Shohei Ohtani’s impact, calls Aaron Judge the true MVP force moving forward

There is no denying that Shohei Ohtani is one of the best players in Major League Baseball. The Japanese phenom has become one of the most recognizable faces in professional sports thanks to his dynamic, two-way abilities on the baseball field, as well as his lovable personality off of it.

That being said, Shohei Ohtani's overall counting stats leave something to be desired this season. Through 35 games this season, the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar has posted a .299 batting average with 10 home runs, however, his 15 RBI is something that has caught the eye of MLB insider Rob Parker on the latest epsiode of MLB Now.

Ohtani's low RBI total is something that Parker believes is an indication of his minimal impact on the Los Angeles Dodgers' lineup. Parker used Ohtani's long time rival and MVP competitor Aaron Judge as an example as to why Shohei Ohtani is going to have a down season but Judge is going to be better than ever.

"Here's what I'm talking about. He's supposed to be on a plateau with Aaron Judge, these two MVP-type seasons. I can sit here honestly and say that I expect even more from Aaron Judge as he continues," Parker explained.

While Shohei Ohtani might not be scoring runs for a number of different reasons, it might be difficult for any player in baseball to compare to Aaron Judge right now. The New York Yankees superstar has been unbelievable this season, posting a .400 batting average with 12 home runs, 34 RBI, and a 1.241 OPS.

"Ohtani is not going to match last year's season and I can't see him as we go forward, have a better year than that. Can I look at Aaron Judge and say that he's going to have a better year than he had this past year? Yes, I do believe that... 15 RBI and we're in May! I've seen this guy strikeout a number of times, it means you're not knocking in anybody when it's not a home run," Parker continued.

Shohei Ohtani reportedly hits 95mph ahead of return to pitching

While Aaron Judge might be tearing the cover off the ball right now, one undisputable way that Shohei Ohtani has been able to separate himself from the New York Yankees slugger is his ability to pitch. Ohtani has yet to pitch for the Dodgers after signing his 10-year, $700,000,000 contract, however he continues to progress towards his much-anticipated return to the mound.

According to Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett, the three-time MVP hit 95mph during his bullpen session this past weekend. This is a significant update for the superstar considering the devastating elbow procedure he underwent before the beginning of the 2024 season.