MLB Power Rankings: Bobby Witt Jr. and Aaron Judge battle it out for AL MVP

The American League MVP race was expected to be one of the best award battle in baseball this year. Shohei Ohtani was moved out of the American League, taking his two-way stardom with him. This opened up the award for many different names that nobody really expected.

Then, you add in the fact that Aaron Judge got off to a horrendous start to the year and you have one of the most wide-open races imaginable. Judge has since turned his season all the way around, but let's see where he ranks among his AL counterparts.

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4. Detroit Tigers LHP, Tarik Skubal

Okay, I know Tarik Skubal isn't going to win the award, nor should he. This is really a three-horse race between the top three names in the American League. But the season that Skubal is having should absolutely garner him some MVP attention.

Yes, he's going to win the AL Cy Young award, but he deserves a top five MVP finish to add to his resume too.

On the season, Skubal leads the league in just about every meaningful pitcher stat. He ranks first in the American League in ERA, strikeouts, wins, WAR and second in WHIP.

If he's able to lead the AL in wins, strikeouts, and ERA, he would win the pitching Triple Crown, which hasn't been done in a full season in over a decade. He's in position to do just that and with a few more dominant starts, he would lock up the Cy Young and the Triple Crown.

I understand that pitchers don't win the MVP anymore and I'm not arguing that he deserves the award, especially given the state of the Tigers. But he definitely deserves some top five votes for the incredible season that he's having.

3. New York Yankees OF, Juan Soto

Juan Soto is set to have one of the most exciting free agencies of all time this winter. He could ink a deal for over $600 million, and no one would blink an eye. But before then, he has to finish out the 2024 season in his pursuit for an MVP award and another World Series ring.

Earlier this year, Soto was a clear top-two candidate, but he has since fallen to a distant third. The right fielder doesn't offer much defensively or on the bases, but he absolutely makes up for that with his bat.

On the season, Soto is slashing .299/.431/.603 with a career high 35 home runs and 7.4 WAR. It's absolutely insane how consistent Soto has been to start his big league career.

He's found his power swing and should clear the 40 home run mark with ease. The lefty leads the league in walks and has drawn more free passes than strikeouts, which is almost unheard of in today's game.

Soto is one of the best players in the league and there's a very good chance that he's the best player in baseball over the next ten years. But for 2024, he's third in the MVP race.

2. Kansas City Royals SS, Bobby Witt Jr.

Ever since the All-Star break, Bobby Witt Jr. has attempted to close the gap for the AL MVP award. Unfortunately, he comes in at second on this list, but it's a very, very strong second place.

The Royals shortstop is nothing short of a superstar. He very well could be the best infield defender in the league, as he leads the shortstop position in OAA by a large margin.

Witt has been on an absolute tear in August. On the month, he's slashing .371/.430/.757 with six home runs and seven doubles. Even his outs are blistered batted balls that regularly register an exit velocity over 100 MPH.

He's a candidate to slug 30 home runs and steal 30 bases this year, which would place him in the illustrious 30/30 club. His standing on this list would be even higher if he had stolen closer to 50 bases, like the Reds Elly De La Cruz has. They both post similar sprint speeds, so Witt should be able to do that in the future.

For the advanced analytics guys that love WAR and defensive metrics, Bobby Witt Jr. is your guy. Witt Jr. is the first player in baseball to reach 9.0 fWAR. He has a .400 batting average at home. He's everything you want in a baseball player.

1. New York Yankees OF, Aaron Judge

You didn't really think this award would go to anybody else, did you?

Judge seems to lead the league in nearly every statistical category. He has the best on-base percentage in the AL, by a lot. He has the best slugging percentage in the AL, by a lot. And as a result, he has the best OPS in the AL by well over .100 points.

Judge is the most feared player in the league right now, and as a result, he's being pitched around and walked at a higher rate than anybody expected him to be. Still, he leads the MLB in home runs and RBIs by a wide margin. He trails only Juan Soto in total walks, holding 40 more free passes than the third place Gunnar Henderson.

Judge isn't having a good year. He's having a legendary year. His .332/.463/.709 slashline doesn't even look like stats a human could have in this era of baseball.

The AL MVP award has been locked up for quite some time now. It's going home with Aaron Judge and the voting won't be close.