Yankees Predictions: Aaron Judge will win the 2019 AL MVP

After an injury-ridden 2018, Yankees RF Aaron Judge should rise to the occasion in 2019. This time with the piece of hardware he narrowly lost his rookie season, the AL MVP.

With a retooled offense and defense for the Yankees, the number of supporting pieces are endless for Judge. Gary Sanchez is regarded by many to have a comeback season this season. Miguel Andujar has worked on his glove this offseason but still holds on to a monstrous bat.  And of course, Giancarlo Stanton is always a lethal threat from the plate.

Another key piece is Didi Gregorius, but due to his injury, it will be Troy Tulowitzki for a considerable amount of the season. Tulowitzki has already shown some worth already in spring training, with hitting two homers.

Last season, Judge was faltered by a chip fracture in his right wrist that kept him out for 45 games. His hottest month of July was cooled down considerably after missing all of August. He went from batting .329 in July, to a measly .220 in September and October. Even after all of that, Judge registered the 12th most votes on the MVP ballot.

More than likely at the two spots in the lineup, he has a chance of getting on base a lot and early in games. He played basically all of two AB from that spot last season, so this is a no brainer going into 2019. With Aaron Hicks leading off in front of Judge, there is ample opportunity for offensive production right out of the gate.

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With reports of Judge coming into 2019 fully healthy from all of his previous ailments, only shows good signs for this season. Judge spoke with James Wagner of the NYTimes.com and spoke on how this offseason was different than previous years.

“Then going into the season trying to stay healthy, and that was a grind,” he said. “But this year, I got a chance to work on things with my swing and my approach. That’s when it gets fun.”

With a refocused offseason, this season could very well be the year that he eclipses being a runner-up for AL Most Valuable Player. There is still a plethora of talent alongside him for that honor, and it will be just as tough as 2017. Jose Altuve won the AL MVP in 2017, with an incredible .346 BA, shared with 204 hits and 24 home runs.

The dream is to win a world series title, and this team could certainly fulfill it. No. 99 is coming into his third full season with the Yankees, healthy and ready to go. The 25-man roster has been upgraded to fill any holes left by the disappointing end to last season.

With that being said, Judge can make his case for AL MVP. With a supporting cast around him, that will improve upon their troubles in 2018, the sky is the limit for Judge.