MLB MVP Futures: Will Aaron Judge be the AL MVP in 2022?

In 2022, the New York Yankees are the face of the American League, and Aaron Judge is their best player. As we head into the summer, Judge has become the front-runner to win the AL MVP and he's created some margin between himself and his competitors such as Mike Trout and Jose Ramirez. Let’s take a look at where things stand right now in the race for the 2022 AL MVP award.

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2022 AL MVP Front Runners

OF Aaron Judge, New York Yankees +125

Aaron Judge is chasing Yankees and MLB history this season. Last time Judge was in the conversation for the AL MVP was in 2017 during his first year in the league. That season, he was named AL Rookie of the Year, finishing second overall in AL MVP voting behind Astros’ star Jose Altuve. 

He’s not only in the conversation this year, but he is currently the front-runner in the AL and comfortably so. Judge has hit 22 home runs so far this season and is well within pace to hit 65 by October. He’s done so with a .310 batting average, a 1.059 OPS, and .677 slugging. His heroics this season are likely the biggest reason the Yankees have the best record in the MLB at 40-15 in the AL East. Judge is currently the AL MVP comfortably. 

OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels +325

Mike Trout remains one of if not the best outfielder in baseball. This season, he’s produced very efficiently once more. The main issue for Trout is the team he is currently playing for. Though the Angels started strong, they are in the middle of a 14-game losing streak. After losing a twelfth game in a row just a few days ago, the Angels terminated GM Joe Maddon. While the Angels are crumbling as a team, Trout is having another monster season. He’s batted .284 this season for 52 hits. Of those 52 hits so far in 2022, 30 were RBIs and 14 were homers. He’s also getting on base roughly 40% (.388 OBP) of the time. Trout rounds those numbers up with .601 slugging on the season. One issue to monitor for Trout is a potentially lingering groin injury which took him out of Tuesday’s contest. While this injury seems rather insignificant, we’ll have to see whether he misses many more games this season. The three-time AL MVP and eight-time silver slugger is having another outstanding season. Right now, he seems like the only true competition to Aaron Judge in the American League. 

P Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels +400

Although the uniquely skilled pitcher and hitter from Japan is having yet again another great season, his numbers have slightly dipped since last year. This season, Shohei Ohtani is batting a respectable .242 for 11 home runs. As a pitcher, he’s thrown for an era of 3.99 and gone 3-4 when starting on the mound for the Angels this season. What makes matters merkier for the Angels, Ohtani like Trout, is that the team is suffered through a 14-game losing streak right now after starting the season so strong. Ohtani is also not playing as well as he did last season. Still, his unique ability as a ball-player makes puts him in the conversation for AL MVP in 2022. 

3B Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians +1100

Jose Ramirez’s statistics don’t necessarily jump off the page. However, the numbers he’s recorded so far this season reveal just how valuable he is to his team. In four of the last five year, Ramirez has finished in the top-three for MVP voting. In 2022, he had an unbelievable 14.4% walk rate. He is also only striking out on approximately 7.5% of his at bats. More than 90% of the time he steps on base, Ramirez either walks to first or hits the ball to help his team score. These numbers are potentially more telling than his currently league-high 53 RBIs so far this season. While Ramirez isn’t doing enough to take the shine away from guys like Judge or Trout, expect him to earn a few votes and at the very least be in the conversation for the AL MVP award by September or October. 

1B/DH Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays +1800

Vladimir Guarrero Jr. is having a great season in 2022, but isn’t hitting as much and as efficiently as he did last season. Guerrero Jr. has batted .249 this season, but a large reason for his relatively low BA is how poorly he hit last month. In May, Guerrero Jr. batted .217. The good news is that he is off to a fantastic start in June. In less than ten days, Guerrero Jr has smashed four home runs and has recorded six runs and RBIs. Because he slumped in the month of May, he’s dropped out of AL MVP contention significantly. However, his strong start to the month of June indicates good things could be coming for him this summer. He still has a great chance of being at the front and center of the AL MVP conversation come October. 

Conclusion

Aaron Judge remains the favorite to win the AL MVP by a longshot. However, guys like Mike Trout and Jose Ramirez aren’t out of the discussion. This summer, expect the players we’ve discussed today to continue performing in the hopes of being named the 2022 AL MVP.

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