MLB has a chance to have TWO Triple Crown Award winners this season, one in each league. Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge lead their respective leagues in two categories required to win the award. To win the hitting Triple Crown, a player must lead his league (National or American) in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. There is also a pitching Triple Crown that consists of a pitcher leading his league in wins, strikeouts, and ERA. Only once in MLB history have two players won the award in the same season for each league. This came in 1933 when Jimmie Foxx won it in the AL and Chuck Klein in the NL.
Shohei Ohtani And Aaron Judge Have Shot At Triple Crown
Winning the Triple Crown is a rare feat in baseball. The last time it was done was in 2012 by Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers. The future Hall of Famer led the AL in batting average, home runs, and RBIs. He hit .330 with 44 homers and 139 RBIs, a monster season.
Shohei Ohtani: A Legitimate Triple Crown Threat
We are just past the halfway point of the 2024 season. Going into tonight’s game, Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Shohei Ohtani leads the NL in batting average (.316) and home runs (26). He is third in RBIs (62) but only trails the leader, Alec Bohm, by six. Ohtani has always been a power hitter, but prior to last year, when he hit .304, he had not finished a season with a batting average above .286. One probable cause for the rise in his average is that he no longer has a dual focus on hitting and pitching. After having elbow surgery last season, he is only slated to be a hitter in 2024.
Ohtani has been consistent in his production over each of the first three months of the 2024 season, which is why a Triple Crown seems entirely possible for him. He hit .336 in March/April, .312 in May, and .293 in June. He also recorded the same amount of home runs (7) and RBIs (19) in March/April and May. Ohtani beefed up his power in June, hitting 12 bombs and driving in 24.
Aaron Judge Has Been On An Absolute Tear Since the Beginning Of May
Judge got off to a slower start to the season. Through the end of April, the New York Yankees slugger was hitting just .207 with six home runs and 18 RBIs. However, when the calendar turned to May, Judge exploded. He hit .361 with 14 homers and 27 RBIs in May. Then, in June, he hit a torrid .409 with 11 homers and 37 RBIs. You didn’t read that wrong, and it’s not a typo.
Here’s an even more ridiculous stat. In his last 50 games, Judge is slashing .398/.507/.932, good for an OPS of 1.439. This is the highest OPS over a 50-game span by any right-handed hitter. In that same span, he has 25 homers and 64 RBIs. Overall, Judge leads the AL in home runs (31) and RBIs (82). He is second in batting average (.316), trailing only Luis Rengifo of the Angels (.317).
Aaron Judge last 50 games
.398/.507/.932 (1.439 OPS)That is a right-handed hitter’s highest OPS over any 50-game season span. EVER.
— Paul Hembekides (Hembo) (@PaulHembo) July 1, 2024
Both Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge are real Triple Crown threats right now. If Ohtani can continue his consistent pace and Judge doesn’t cool way off, this will be a storyline to watch as the second half progresses.
Main Photo Credits: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
