Yankees 2017 MVP and the rest of their regular season awards

Winner: Aaron Judge

WAR: 7.1

While it is fun to look at all the Yankees’ top performers, there was never any doubt who the MVP is, and has been almost since the season started.

Judge is slashing .281/.416/.610, but that doesn’t begin to tell his story. He leads the AL in home runs (48); runs scored (122); and, walks (119).

I don’t want this to become a series of numbers, however. Instead, I will focus on his place among the other AL batting leaders. He is second in WAR (Altuve), intentional walks (Trout), on-base (Trout), and slugging (Trout). He’s fourth in RBIs and fifth in both total bases and extra-base hits.

And for the true statheads, who have a lot of influence in voting, Aaron is first in runs created, number of times on base, offensive win percentage and home runs per at-bat.

I cannot say that all of those categories are important. But it is the number of them that impresses so. For those who might think of Judge as second to Trout, note that Judge has played 148 games this year, while Trout has suited up for just 106.

And Judge is now competing with the record books…and winning. He has the most walks ever by a rookie; he has the most home runs by a Yankees rookie (Joe Dimaggio, 29); and, he just broke Mark McGwire’s home run rookie record of 49 — swatting 50 with a week left to play.

Judge was an All-Star, the Home Run Derby Champion, won three of the five Rookies of the Month awards so far and will probably win for September, and has become the face of baseball. And, he is back to form and hitting bombs down the stretch.

Oh, yeah, he’s the Yankees’ MVP all right. He might just be that for all of baseball.

That was fun. Now let’s do two easy ones.