It’s that time of the year again, when the baseball world holds its breath and all eyes turn to the diamond for a clash of the titans. Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani, two of the game’s most dynamic superstars, are locking horns. Last year, the Dodgers had the last laugh in the World Series, where they stole the spotlight in a dramatic finish. The rematch of that is here now.
The Yankees-Dodgers series is on, and it’s no longer just a showdown, but a sequel brimming with tension, talent, and unfinished business. Buckle up. This isn’t just baseball, but a collision of legends in real time.
The first game took a flying start when Aaron Judge opened with a 446-foot home run through the centerfield. That too in the first inning. While fans were awestruck with Judge’s 19th homer of the season, Ohtani followed promptly. In the same inning, the Japanese took up the charge, sending the ball off Max Fried for a 417-foot homer. Through the centerfield!
The game looked like the highlight reel of the World Series game where the Yankees were leading by 5-0 and still lost. Today’s game also started with the Yankees leading by 5-2 at one point. But the script flipped again and the Dodgers won by 8-5 eventually! Now that’s how a Yankees-Dodgers series should open.
In the meantime, one man has already delivered his verdict on who is better between Ohtani and Judge . Well, everyone has an opinion on that, but let’s hear it from the Yankees manager himself.
Aaron Boone boldly weighed in with his thoughts: “I think Judge has been the best hitter in the sport now for a number of years, but what Shohei does with his speed and, when he’s healthy, being an ace on the mound, and his ability to swing the bat … we haven’t seen that.”
So, as a core hitter, Boone kept Judge over Ohtani. Well, fair enough because Judge with a 1.022 career OPS is ahead of Ohtani’s .952 anyway.
Judge is ahead of Ohtani even in terms of BA (.294-.282). But when you add pitching here, there is no contest. While Judge has nothing to do with pitching, Ohtani is here with a career 3.01 ERA. For now though, keep the pitching stats aside as both men seem to be racing in terms of their offensive skills, with Ohtani leading.
The Ohtani-powered offense is proving victorious this year
At the start of this season, the Dodgers’ pitching lineup was poised to make all the noise. But it is their offense that is catching all the attention lately.
The Dodgers’ offense has been one of the most potent in MLB during the 2025 season. They currently lead the league with a .263 team batting average and ranked #2 in terms of total runs scored (314). As expected, Ohtani has been a standout. He has belted 22 home runs and notching 65 hits, ranking at the top in MLB.
The next in line is Freddie Freeman. Even at 35, he is delivering a stellar campaign with a team-best .368 average and an impressive .620 slugging percentage. Teoscar Hernandez with 42 RBIs, and Will Smith with a .457 OBP, have done their bit as well.
That’s what’s helping the Dodgers lead the division. That too with injury setbacks to key players like Mookie Betts, Blake Snell, and Tyler Glasnow.
The Dodgers’ offense proved fruitful in the series opener against the Yankees as well. Apart from Ohtani’s 2 HRs, Hernandez, Smith, Freeman, Tommy Edman, and Andy Pages all scored runs. While the homer came only from Ohtani, contributions from others helped the team pile up runs on the board.
It remains to be seen how the Dodgers’ offense performs in the next two games of the series and if the Yankees can make a comeback. What do you think?
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