Aaron Judge gives Orioles fans a preview of their worst nightmare

The New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles spent the first half of the 2024 season deadlocked in a tight race for the American League East. The division lead ultimately came down to the final series — and then the final game — before the All-Star break.

After a torrid start to the season, the Yankees fell into a slump over the final month of the season and entered the series with a two-game deficit in the AL East. The high-stakes series began with a bench-clearing brawl on Friday and ended with a thriller on Sunday. New York ultimately won the first two games of the series, but the Orioles managed to take the division lead with a dramatic 6-5 victory on Sunday.

Both teams appear to be evenly matched, and they both feature their own candidate American League Most Valuable Player Award. Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is the betting favorite to win the AL MVP award this season, while Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson has emerged as the biggest threat to steal it from him.

With the first half of the season wrapped up, Judge and Henderson have joined Major League Baseball's top players for the All-Star festivities at Globe Life Field in Arlington.

Aaron Judge would love to play with Gunnar Henderson

Before the Home Run Derby on Monday, Judge was asked by reporters to name an opposing player he would most like to have as a teammate. Judge took the opportunity to compliment Henderson.

"Well, just watching him — we just played in Baltimore — Gunnar Henderson," said Judge, h/t Jake Rill of MLB.com. "Seeing what he's doing for them — they're in first place, doing their thing — just impressive to watch at-bat after at-bat. He works his walks. He plays great defense. Hits the ball out of the ballpark. Hits for average. Great instincts on the basepaths, man. He's a special talent, for sure."

Soto answered the same question on Monday by naming Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani. If Soto were to leave next season, perhaps Yankees fans could be appeased by replacing him with Henderson. It's highly improbable, but the thought of it should be enough to induce nausea in Baltimore.

For Orioles fans, few things would be worse than seeing Henderson team up with Judge in the Bronx. The 23-year-old has positioned himself as the emerging face of the franchise in Baltimore.

Henderson won't be a free agent until after the 2028 season, but he will surely chase after a lucrative contract alongside agent Scott Boras. Henderson was named the AL Rookie of the Year in 2023, and he only seems to be getting better. He earned his first All-Star appearance this season and could be on his way to unseating Judge for AL MVP honors.

Judge currently leads the majors in home runs (34), RBIs (85), slugging percentage (.679), and OPS (1.112). Henderson has recorded 28 home runs, 63 RBIs, a .584 slugging percentage, and a .956 OPS.

The Orioles were on the verge of dropping their sixth consecutive game when Henderson blasted Carlos Rodon's pitch in the third inning of Sunday's 6-5 victory to give Baltimore their first lead. With 58 wins each, the Yankees and Orioles will rely on their respective superstars to power them through the second half of the season.