New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge is excited to face off against his “rival” Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Yankees and Dodgers, two of the best teams in Major League Baseball (MLB), will meet in the best-of-seven World Series (WS) on June 26th.
The battle between Judge and Ohtani, the American League (AL) and National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) this season, respectively, will be a major draw for baseball fans.
“Ohtani is an impressive athlete and one of the best players in the game,” Jersey said at a press conference at Yankee Stadium in New York City on Sept. 23 (KST). He's like an ambassador for the sport of baseball,” said Jersey.
“He makes good contact and has good power, 카지노사이트 and what he accomplished this year with the 50 stolen bases was much appreciated, but I don't think it was enough,” Judge said. ”I think the way he runs around the field is a great example for the younger generation and kids.”
Ohtani became the first MLB player to reach 50 homers and 50 doubles this year, batting .310 with 54 homers, 59 doubles, 130 RBIs and a 1.036 OPS.
“When Ohtani was with the Los Angeles Angels (of the AL), we played against each other throughout the regular season and I got to see him hit home runs over my head,” Jersey said. ”It's cool to get the opportunity to play on the biggest stage when it counts.”
This will be the first time Jersey, the reigning cleanup hitter, will be on the World Series stage.
“As a kid, I remember the excitement and emotion when the Yankees went to the World Series and won,” said Judge, ”so it's going to be a very special experience and I'm looking forward to it.”
This year, Judge is batting .322 with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, and a 1.159 OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage). He leads the AL in home runs, RBI, and OPS, and is third in batting average.
In 2022, Judge set the AL record for most home runs in a season with 62.