As a reminder, Ohtani hasn't pitched since Aug. 23, 2023. He underwent surgery on his pitching elbow less than a month later. At the time, his surgeon said it was to "repair the issue at hand and to reinforce the healthy ligament in place while adding viable tissue for the longevity of the elbow."

New York Yankees star Aaron Judge is likely to take home his second American League MVP award in the last three years, but he believes the title of the

Throughout the playoffs and for much of the regular season, the Yankees lacked a reliever whose primary goal was to get strikeouts. Cortes fits that bill, and as a lefty, he could prove to be the Yankees’ best threat against Ohtani, the likely National League MVP after hitting 54 home runs and stealing 59 bases as a designated hitter.