Yankees MVP prediction that doesn't involve Aaron Judge is actually very possible

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Yankees MVP prediction that doesn't involve Aaron Judge is actually very possible originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Aaron Judge has been one of the best hitters in Major League Baseball history and is routinely in the MVP conversation every year as long as he's healthy.

The 2026 season is no different. But there could be a different hitter on the New York Yankees who has a chance to win the award.

Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report shared a hot take prediction that another Yankees hitter would win the AL MVP over Judge this season.

"A New York Yankee wins AL MVP... but it won't be Aaron Judge," Miller writes. "... He (Judge) is the clear favorite for AL MVP. But let's have some fun with this one."

While Miller didn't explicitly predict one specific Yankee to win this award, there's actually one player in Ben Rice who has a decent chance to win the AL MVP over Judge this season, and it's not that much of a hot take.

Yankees MVP prediction without Aaron Judge isn't that bold​

Rice is banged up right now, but through 33 games this season, he's been arguably the best hitter in baseball.

He has posted 1.8 bWAR across 134 plate appearances with 37 hits, 30 runs scored, nine doubles, 12 homers, 27 RBIs, and the best batting average in the AL at .343.

However, where he truly thrives is the rest of his slash line. He has a .455 on-base percentage and a .759 slugging percentage with a 1.214 OPS. Those all lead all of MLB this season. His 234 OPS+ is a ridiculous figure, and it's also the best in MLB this year.

MORE: Aaron Judge makes baseball history never done before by Yankees player

Compared to Judge, who has 2.4 bWAR across 163 plate appearances with 15 homers and a .273/.407/.659 slash line with a 1.066 OPS and 193 OPS+, he's a significant step back from Rice offensively.

The only difference is that Rice isn't playing enough. But if Aaron Boone completely stops platooning Rice this season, and if Judge maybe has a rough month or is out for a period of time, Rice could easily challenge for the AL MVP.

While it's a bold prediction from Miller, there's a fairly clear path for Rice to win the AL MVP over Judge this season that is entirely possible without too much craziness.

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