The Los Angeles Dodgers went into the Bronx over the weekend and took two of three from Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees. And while Shohei Ohtani went 2-for-13 over the three-game set, he was still a major topic of conversation at Yankee Stadium as it was his first visit since joining the Dodgers.
Ohtani and Judge are two of baseball’s absolute best and have combined to take home all of the last three American League MVP Awards. And while they both sit atop Major League player rankings, even Ohtani and Judge can be surprised at how impressive the other can truly be up close.
During an interview with Eduardo Pérez on ESPN’s “Sunday Night Baseball” broadcast, Ohtani spoke about Judge’s stature and ability to stay true to his approach:
“Huge. … I see him every year, but I’m just surprised at how big he is. Also, regardless of the situation, he’s always taking his swing. That’s something I really can learn a lot from.”
Judge and Ohtani are not just two of the best players in the sport today, they are also among the most physically dominant batters. Judge stands at 6’7″ and 282 pounds and Ohtani is listed at 6’4″ and 210 pounds.
Both have left massive physical stamps on the game of baseball, and it’s not surprise that Judge and Ohtani are routinely among the hardest hitters in the sport. But even with Ohtani’s masterful season at the plate thus far, he still believes he can learn from the way Judge approaches each and every at-bat.
While Ohtani is in a bit of a slump, Judge is once again crushing baseballs each and every day. His .436 on-base percentage, .703 slugging and 1.139 OPS all rank as the best marks in baseball.
Judge is on track for a third consecutive season with an OPS over 1.000.
Yankee Stadium sold Shohei Ohtani merchandise
There is always a good amount of star power on display when the Dodgers and Yankees go head-to-head. But this year had a little extra excitement behind it with Ohtani joining the likes of Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman on the Dodgers’ side and Juan Soto with Aaron Judge for the Yankees, despite a forearm injury keeping him out of the series.
The Yankee Stadium team store used this meeting as an opportunity to sell some unique merchandise to mark the occasion, including a hat to represent both Ohtani and Judge, plus a dual bobblehead.
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