【海外の反応】MLB公式が2026年シーズンの各タイトル受賞者予想を公開 → 「大谷翔平とジャッジ以外がMVPとるなんてことあるか？」「ジャッジは過小評価されすぎだろ」
MLB's official release of 2026 season award predictions has sparked a frenzy among global baseball fans. Many questioned the MVP forecasts, asking “Is it even possible for anyone other than Shohei Ohtani or Aaron Judge to win?” as their names were conspicuously absent. Complaints like “Judge is always so underrated!” filled social media, turning it into a lively debate.
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MVP (Most Valuable Player)
The Most Valuable Player (MVP) award is one of the highest honors in MLB, recognizing the player who performed best in each league during the regular season. Chosen by the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) through a vote, one player from the American League and one from the National League receive this award. While specific criteria aren't explicitly defined, selection generally considers a player's overall performance (batting average, home runs, RBIs, OPS; for pitchers, ERA, wins, strikeouts), their contribution to team victories, and their impact within the league. In recent years, in addition to traditional batting and pitching stats, sabermetrics – especially WAR (Wins Above Replacement) – has gained prominence. WAR quantifies a player's total value, including defense and baserunning, by measuring how much they contribute to their team's wins compared to a replacement-level player. For instance, Shohei Ohtani received unanimous MVP votes in 2021 and 2023 for his otherworldly two-way performance; his dominant pitching numbers combined with elite hitting stats made him an outlier across all metrics, including WAR. The current article discusses future MVP predictions for 2026, and fans' reactions to Ohtani and Judge being excluded from these forecasts highlight the immense expectations and influence associated with the MVP award, given their established track records.
Shohei Ohtani
Shohei Ohtani is a modern baseball icon who has rewritten history in MLB with his unprecedented “two-way” style. As a pitcher, he commands fastballs exceeding 100 mph and a variety of breaking pitches, while as a hitter, he generates massive home runs with elite power and plate discipline. In 2021, he recorded 9 wins as a pitcher and 46 home runs as a hitter, earning a unanimous AL MVP award. This feat re-established the success of a “two-way” player, a phenomenon not seen for about 100 years since Babe Ruth. In 2023, he again recorded 10 wins as a pitcher and 44 home runs as a hitter, securing his second unanimous MVP (despite an elbow injury ending his pitching appearances late in the season, he led the league with a 1.066 OPS as a hitter). In the 2023 offseason, he signed a groundbreaking 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers, the largest in North American sports history, underscoring his immeasurable influence and expectations. Fans' surprise and backlash regarding his exclusion from the 2026 MVP predictions stem from the fact that he has already achieved feats that defy baseball conventions, making him a presumptive “top MVP candidate.” The debate among fans currently revolves around whether Ohtani, who will be 31 in 2026, can maintain his performance without injury or if new rivals will emerge.
Aaron Judge
Aaron Judge is a prominent slugger in Major League Baseball, serving as captain of the New York Yankees. His extraordinary long-ball power, often dubbed “Judge missiles,” captivates fans. Particularly in the 2022 season, he broke the AL record with 62 home runs, and achieved remarkable statistics with 131 RBIs and a 1.111 OPS, earning him the AL MVP award. His impact on the team is immeasurable; he's not only a core hitter but also contributes significantly in the outfield defense and exerts a powerful presence as a team leader. However, despite his overwhelming performance, he is often compared to Shohei Ohtani’s historic two-way feats, leading some fans to believe he is “often underrated.” Fans' reaction to his name being absent from the 2026 MVP predictions— “Judge is severely underrated!” — stems from the perception that, given his past achievements and contributions to the team, it’s hard to imagine him being excluded from MVP consideration. A key aspect of future predictions for Judge, who will be 34 in 2026, is whether he can overcome age and injury risks to maintain his MLB top-tier performance. His presence is not just that of a star player, but also a symbol of the Yankees franchise, and his every move is constantly under scrutiny.