New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge won the American League MVP in 2022 but was not the MLB Network's No. 1 player heading into the 2023 MLB campaign.

That honor goes to — you probably guessed it already — Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels, the player who gave Aaron Judge the stiffest competition for the AL MVP award last season.

Aaron Judge was the best hitter in all of baseball in 2022, but Ohtani's brilliance as both a slugger and a pitcher for the Halos turned a lot of heads. Judge broke a decades-old record in the American League by recording 62 home runs while almost singlehandedly carrying the Yankees' offense. Ohtani and the Angels did not make the playoffs, but the franchise would have been in a much worse position if it weren't for the do-it-all Japanese sensation doing elite work on the mound and at the plate on a consistent basis.

In 2022, Ohtani slashed .273/.356/.519 with 34 home runs and 95 RBI. While those numbers were great, they weren't even close to what Aaron Judge strung together that same season in which the Yankees outfielder posted an incredible .311/.425/.686 with 62 home runs and 131 RBI. However, Ohtani happened to also be among the best pitchers in the big leagues, as he went 15-9 with a 2.33 ERA and 2.40 FIP and a 172 ERA+ across 166.0 total innings of work on the mound.

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Mickey Moniak and Patrick Sandoval in image looking stern, LA Angels logo, baseball field in background

Jackson Roberts ·

Twins Angels prediction, Twins Angels odds, Twins Angels pick, Twins Angels, how to watch Twins Angels

Matthew Zemek ·

Anthony Rendon with animated tears. Angels fans in the background with scared emojis as their faces

Angelo Guinhawa ·

With Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani each putting up a show in 2022, that season will always be remembered for having one of the most thought-provoking MVP debates in baseball history.