Vladimir Guerrero Jr. worried about ‘another steal’ in MVP vote

Feb 17, 2020; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) looks on during spring training at Spectrum Field. Mandatory Credit: Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. thinks he was unjustly ignored in last year’s AL MVP race in favor of Shohei Ohtani. Now, the Toronto Blue Jays first baseman is concerned about the same thing happening to Aaron Judge.

Guerrero Jr. had a strong take on the AL MVP race for 2022, suggesting that Judge losing to Ohtani would represent “another steal.” The Blue Jays slugger told MLB reporter Hector Gomez that Ohtani is excellent, but Judge’s numbers are “way above Ohtani’s.”

https://twitter.com/hgomez27/status/1570471910252871680

The big justification for Ohtani’s MVP candidacy is his two-way prowess. With 34 home runs to go with a 2.55 ERA in 24 starts, Ohtani provides tremendous value on both sides of the game. Judge does not pitch, of course, but he is still hitting .310 with 57 home runs in what has proven to be a historic campaign.

Guerrero Jr. is still frustrated that he was overlooked for MVP last season because of Ohtani. The issue is a tricky one, though. If the MVP award were purely based on value, Ohtani would win every year. Judge, on the other hand, can point to his historic excellence.

Judge is viewed as the favorite at this point, but the case is not completely closed. Guerrero Jr. will certainly be furious if it goes the wrong way in his eyes.