In a jaw-dropping display of dominance, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge just etched their names into baseball history for the second time.NL

Ohtani and Judge Are Redefining Greatness-And They’re Not Done Yet

If you’re wondering who owns Major League Baseball right now, look no further than Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge. On Thursday night, both superstars were named MVPs of their respective leagues-again.

It’s not just a repeat performance; it’s a continuation of a run that’s starting to feel historic. These two aren’t just dominating-they’re changing the standard for what greatness looks like in the modern game.

Let’s start with the hardware. Ohtani and Judge have now combined for seven of the last ten MVP awards.

That’s not just dominance-it’s dynasty-level stuff. And they’re not just winning these awards; they’re running away with them.

In those seven MVP seasons, they’ve collected 195 of a possible 210 first-place votes. That’s a staggering 93% share.

Ohtani, for his part, just picked up his fourth MVP-all of them unanimous. No one else in baseball history has more than one unanimous MVP.

That tells you everything you need to know about how clear-cut his greatness is.

Judge hasn’t exactly been in the shadows, either. He’s now a two-time MVP himself, and what he did this past season was flat-out ridiculous.

A .331 batting average to go with 53 home runs? That’s not just power-it’s precision.

He led the league by 20 points in batting average while still being the most feared slugger in the game. And he did it at 6-foot-7, which makes winning a batting title even more impressive.

The man is rewriting what we think is possible for a hitter of his size and build.

And yet, somehow, Ohtani might still be the more remarkable of the two. His two-way brilliance has officially moved beyond novelty and into territory we’ve never seen before-not even from Babe Ruth.

This season, Ohtani hit more balls at 100+ mph than any other hitter in the league. And when he was on the mound, only two pitchers-Hunter Greene and Tarik Skubal-threw more 100+ mph pitches (minimum 15 starts).

That’s not just versatility. That’s dominance on both sides of the ball.

He’s a unicorn who shows up every fifth day to pitch and still finds time to be one of the best hitters on the planet.

Let’s be honest-there were some incredible seasons that didn’t get the recognition they probably deserved because of these two. Bobby Witt Jr. had one of the best years we’ve ever seen from a shortstop, and still finished a distant second to Judge in the MVP race.

Cal Raleigh, a switch-hitting catcher who hit 60 home runs and drove in 125 while leading the league in innings caught without a single passed ball, also came up short. Both had seasons worthy of MVP consideration in most years-but this isn’t most years.

This is the era of Judge and Ohtani.

Over the past five seasons, they’ve been 1-2 in almost every major offensive category. Judge leads in home runs (249), OPS (1.075), OPS+ (196), and slugging (.649).

Ohtani is right behind in each of those, and leads in total bases (1,738) and bWAR (45.5). Judge is second in both.

That’s not just a rivalry-it’s a two-man arms race at the top of the sport. The only names that even come close in terms of historical comparison are Ruth, McGwire, Bonds, and Sosa-and we all know the asterisks that come with those names.

And let’s not forget the rings. Ohtani’s got two World Series titles now, adding another layer to his already absurd résumé.

He joins an elite club of athletes who’ve won MVPs in the same years they’ve won championships: Joe Morgan, Guy LaFleur, Wayne Gretzky, Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, and LeBron James. That’s the kind of company he’s keeping now.

At 33 and 31 years old respectively, Judge and Ohtani are still in their primes-and they’re locked in with their teams for the long haul. Judge is signed through 2031.

Ohtani through 2033. That means we’re likely to see more of this MVP tug-of-war for years to come.

And because they play in separate leagues, they’re not cannibalizing each other’s chances. If they stay healthy, they could keep stacking awards like poker chips.

But it’s not just about the numbers or the trophies. These two are the faces of baseball, and not just because they play in two of the biggest markets for two of the most iconic franchises.

They carry themselves with a level of professionalism and charisma that elevates the game. They’re ambassadors, competitors, and entertainers all rolled into one.

Next spring, they’ll take the field in the World Baseball Classic, adding another chapter to their already legendary careers. And make no mistake-what they’re doing is pushing the game forward.

They’re not just chasing history. They’re making it.

So while the rest of the league keeps grinding, trying to close the gap, Judge and Ohtani are setting the pace. And right now, that pace is nothing short of historic.