2021 AL MVP runner-up Vladimir Guerrero Jr. goes to bat for Aaron Judge over Shohei Ohtani for 2022 award

There appear to only be two players with a real shot at taking home the 2022 AL MVP award: Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani. The race for the hardware may be the most tightly contested of all the major awards in MLB this fall, as both superstars could make very legitimate cases for being named the MVP.

Last week, longtime announcer Joe Buck discussed both candidates, and while he said Ohtani was "unbelievable," a "great guy" and "doing something we've never seen" (with his two-way talents), he made it clear that he was taking Judge for the crown. Buck picked Judge "hands down," noting that the outfielder's team — the New York Yankees — are headed to the postseason, while Ohtani's Los Angeles Angels aren't.

On Thursday, Toronto Blue Jays All-Star first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. expressed his agreement with Buck. Guerrero was the 2021 AL MVP runner-up to Ohtani.