The impending matchup between Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani in the 2024 World Series is as good as it gets on this stage.
Not only does this year’s Fall Classic pit the NL-beset Los Angeles Dodgers against the AL-best New York Yankees, but the meeting between Judge and Ohtani provides a clash of the MVPs as both men are the heavy favorites to win the award in their respective leagues.
In fact, this all feels like a no-brainer. Judge led all of baseball with 58 home runs and 144 RBI while posting a gaudy 1.159 OPS. It was the second time in three seasons that the Yankee slugger flirted with 60 home runs after setting an American League record with 62 in 2022 — a year he also won MVP honors.
As brilliant as Judge’s season was, Ohtani’s 2024 was historic. In his first season with the Dodgers, and having half of his game taken away as he recovered from UCL surgery that withheld him from pitching, the 30-year-old became the first man in MLB history to hit 50 home runs (54) and steal 50 bases (59) while driving in 130 runs.
Getting a matchup of the AL and NL MVP in the World Series rarely happens. In fact, we have only seen it 29 times in the first 120 years of the Fall Classic, but it has been even more rare as of late. Since the Divisional Era (1969) it had happened only six times before this year.
The MVP Award has been given out in some fashion since 1911, though the award we know today was first established in 1931.
Where does the Judge vs. Ohtani matchup rank on this list? Perhaps near the very top.
(* Denotes a player that is in the Baseball Hall of Fame)
MVPs to face each other in World Series
1912: Tris Speaker* (Boston Red Sox) vs. Larry Doyle (New York Giants)
- Speaker’s stats: .383/.464/.567, 10 HR, 90 RBI, 52 SB
- Doyle’s stats: .330/.393/.471, 10 HR, 91 RBI, 36 SB
- World Series winner: Red Sox in 8 games
1914: Johnny Evers* (Boston Braves) vs. Eddie Collins* (Philadelphia Athletics)
- Evers’ stats: .279/.390/.338, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 12 SB
- Collins’ stats: .344/.452/.452, 2 HR, 85 RBI, 58 SB
- World Series winner: Braves in 4
1927: Lou Gehrig* (New York Yankees) vs. Paul Waner* (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Gehrig’s stats: .373/.474/.765, 47 HR, 173 RBI
- Waner’s stats: .380/.437/.549, 9 HR, 131 RBI
- World Series winner: Yankees in 4
1931: Lefty Grove* (Philadelphia Athletics) vs. Frankie Frisch* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Grove’s stats: 31-4, 2.06 ERA, 288.2 IP, 175 K
- Frisch’s stats: .311/.368/.396, 4 HR, 82 RBI, 28 SB
- World Series winner: Cardinals in 7
1934: Mickey Cochrane* (Detroit Tigers) vs. Dizzy Dean* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Cochrane’s stats: .320/.428/.412, 2 HR, 75 RBI
- Dean’s stats: 30-7, 7 saves, 2.66 ERA, 311.2 IP, 195 K
- World Series winner: Cardinals in 7
1935: Hank Greenberg* (Detroit Tigers) vs. Gabby Hartnett* (Chicago Cubs)
- Greenberg’s stats: .328/.411/.628, 36 HR, 168 RBI
- Hartnett’s stats: .344/.404/.545, 13 HR, 91 RBI
- World Series winner: Tigers in 6
1936: Lou Gehrig* (New York Yankees) vs. Carl Hubbell* (New York Giants)
- Gehrig’s stats: .354/.478/.696, 49 HR, 152 RBI
- Hubbell’s stats: 26-6, 2.31 ERA, 304 IP, 123 K
- World Series winner: Yankees in 6
1939: Joe DiMaggio* (New York Yankees) vs. Bucky Walters (Cincinnati Reds)
- DiMaggio’s stats: .381/.448/.671, 30 HR, 126 RBI
- Walters’ stats: 27-11, 2.29 ERA, 319 IP, 137 K
- World Series winner: Yankees in 4
1940: Hank Greenberg* (Detroit Tigers) vs. Frank McCormick (Cincinnati Reds)
- Greenberg’s stats: .340/.433/.670, 41 HR, 150 RBI
- McCormick’s stats: .309/.433/.670, 19 HR, 127 RBI
- World Series winner: Reds in 7
1941: Joe DiMaggio* (New York Yankees) vs. Dolph Camilli (Brooklyn Dodgers)
- Gehrig’s stats: .357/.440/.643, 30 HR, 125 RBI
- Camilli’s stats: .285/.407/.556, 34 HR, 120 RBI
- World Series winner: Yankees in 5
1942: Joe Gordon* (New York Yankees) vs. Mort Cooper (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Gordon’s stats: .322/.409/.491, 18 HR, 103 RBI
- Cooper’s stats: 22-7, 1.78 ERA, 278.2 IP, 152 K
- World Series winner: Cardinals in 5
1943: Spud Chander (New York Yankees) vs. Stan Musial* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Chandler’s stats: 20-4, 1.64 ERA, 253 IP, 134 K
- Musial’s stats: .357/.425/.562, 13 HR, 81 RBI
- World Series winner: Yankees in 5
1945: Hal Newhouser* (Detroit Tigers) vs. Phil Cavarretta (Chicago Cubs)
- Newhouser’s stats: 25-9, 1.81 ERA, 313.1 IP, 212 K
- Cavarretta’s stats: .267/.324/.362, 6 HR, 63 RBI
- World Series winner: Tigers in 7
1946: Ted Williams* (Boston Red Sox) vs. Stan Musial* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Williams’ stats: .342/.497/.667, 38 HR, 123 RBI
- Musial’s stats: .365/.434/.587, 16 HR, 103 RBI
- World Series winner: Cardinals in 7
1950: Phil Rizzutto (New York Yankees) vs. Jim Konstanty (Philadelphia Phillies)
- Rizzuto’s stats: .324/.418/.439, 7 HR, 66 RBI
- Konstanty’s stats: 16-7, 22 saves, 2.66 ERA, 152 IP, 56 K
- World Series winner: Yankees in 4
1955: Yogi Berra* (New York Yankees) vs. Roy Campanella* (Brooklyn Dodgers)
- Berra’s stats: .272/.349/.470, 27 HR, 108 RBI
- Campanella’s stats: .318/.395/.583, 32 HR, 107 RBI
- World Series winner: Dodgers in 7
1956: Mickey Mantle* (New York Yankees) vs. Don Newcombe (Brooklyn Dodgers)
- Mantle’s stats: .353/.464/.705, 52 HR, 130 RBI
- Newcombe’s stats: 27-7, 3.06 ERA, 268 IP, 139 K
- World Series winner: Yankees in 7
1957: Mickey Mantle* (New York Yankees) vs. Hank Aaron (Milwaukee Braves)
- Mantle’s stats: .365/.512/.665, 34 HR, 94 RBI
- Aaron’s stats: .322/.378/.600, 44 HR, 132 RBI
- World Series winner: Braves in 7
1960: Roger Maris (New York Yankees) vs. Dick Groat (Pittsburgh Pirates)
- Maris’ stats: .283/.371/.581, 39 HR, 112 RBI
- Groat’s stats: .325/.371/.394, 2 HR, 50 RBI
- World Series winner: Pirates in 7
1961: Roger Maris (New York Yankees) vs. Frank Robinson* (Cincinnati Reds)
- Maris’ stats: .269/.372/.620, 61 HR, 141 RBI
- Robinson’s stats: .323/.404/.611, 37 HR, 124 RBI
- World Series winner: Yankees in 5
1963: Elston Howard (New York Yankees) vs. Sandy Koufax* (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Howard’s stats: .287/.342/.528, 28 HR, 85 RBI
- Koufax’s stats: 25-5, 1.88 ERA, 311 IP, 306 K
- World Series winner: Dodgers in 4
1967: Carl Yastrzemski* (Boston Red Sox) vs. Orlando Cepeda* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Yastrzemski’s stats: .326/.418/.622, 44 HR, 121 RBI
- Cepeda’s stats: .325/.399/.524, 25 HR, 111 RBI
- World Series winner: Cardinals in 7
1968: Denny McLain (Detroit Tigers) vs. Bob Gibson* (St. Louis Cardinals)
- McLain’s stats: 31-6, 1.96 ERA, 336 IP, 280 K
- Gibson’s stats: 22-9, 1.12 ERA, 304.2 IP, 268 K
- World Series winner: Tigers in 7
1970: Boog Powell (Baltimore Orioles) vs. Johnny Bench* (Cincinnati Reds)
- Powell’s stats: .297/.412/.549, 35 HR, 114 RBI
- Bench’s stats: .293/.345/.587, 45 HR, 148 RBI
- World Series winner: Orioles in 5
1975: Fred Lynn (Boston Red Sox) vs. Joe Morgan* (Cincinnati Reds)
- Lynn’s stats: .373/.474/.765, 47 HR, 173 RBI
- Morgan’s stats: .380/.437/.549, 9 HR, 131 RBI
- World Series winner: Reds in 7
1976: Thurman Munson (New York Yankees) vs. Joe Morgan* (Cincinnati Reds)
- Munson’s stats: .302/.337/.432, 17 HR, 105 RBI
- Morgan’s stats: .320/.444/.576, 27 HR, 111 RBI
- World Series winner: Reds in 4
1980: George Brett* (Kansas City Royals) vs. Mike Schmidt* (Philadelphia Phillies)
- Brett’s stats: .390/.454/.664, 24 HR, 118 RBI
- Schmidt’s stats: .286/.380/.624, 48 HR, 121 RBI
- World Series winner: Phillies in 6
1988: Jose Canseco (Oakland Athletics) vs. Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Canseco’s stats: .307/.391/.569, 42 HR, 124 RBI, 40 SB
- Gibson’s stats: .290/.377/.483, 25 HR, 76 RBI, 31 SB
- World Series winner: Dodgers in 5
2012: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) vs. Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
- Cabrera’s stats: .330/.393/.606, 44 HR, 139 RBI
- Posey’s stats: .336/.408/.549, 24 HR, 103 RBI
- World Series winner: Reds in 7
2024: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees) vs. Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Judge’s stats: .322/.458/.701, 58 HR, 144 RBI
- Ohtani’s stats: .310/.390/.646, 54 HR, 130 RBI, 59 SB
Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com
