The New York Yankees and New York Mets are both eyeing postseason glory with over a month left in the regular season, making any individual accolades an added perk.
Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge and Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor are leading their leagues in FanGraphs’ Wins Above Replacement (WAR) stats, setting them up for potentially significant awards in 2024.
This week, they both took home Player of the Week honors for their respective leagues, marking a clean sweep for New York.
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Judge’s performance has been impressive: he batted .381 (8-for-21) with seven home runs, 11 RBIs, and an eye-popping 1.429 slugging percentage across six games last week. He led MLB in several categories, including home runs and RBIs, while boasting an OPS of 1.948.
Currently, Judge holds a slight lead in fWAR over Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr., 9.6 to 9.0, a gap narrow enough to change weekly. His lead expands when using other WAR metrics, making him a top MVP contender.
Meanwhile, Lindor also shone brightly last week, hitting .345 (10-for-29) with three homers and six RBIs in seven games. He matched the Major League lead in hits and doubles, showcasing his talent with a .793 slugging percentage and a stellar OPS of 1.180.
His WAR race is tight as well, leading Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani by a slim margin of 6.5 to 6.3 in FanGraphs’ stats, while he sits behind Ohtani in Baseball Reference’s figures.
If last week is any indication, both players are heating up just in time for a playoff push. A strong showing in September could be the key to helping the Yankees and Mets reach the postseason and capturing MVP titles for Judge and Lindor.
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