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September 28, 2022 By: Mark Knudson

MLB “clean” milestones should not be ignored

It’s easy for casual sports fans to hang on to the ill will created by the Major League Baseball Owners Lockout that delayed the start of the season. But if you decided to tune out on baseball in 2022, you’ve missed a lot. And what promises to be another dramatic postseason hasn’t even started yet.

Depending on where you live, you’ve gotten to see some incredible individual accomplishments. Baseball has become very regionalized in terms of fan followings, so if you live in the east, you’ve probably not heard a lot about a once in a lifetime player doing incredible things on the west coast. Shohei Ohtani – the modern day Babe Ruth – has made a compelling case for a second straight American League MVP award even while he toils on a team that’s hopelessly out of playoff contention and close to 20 games under .500.

All this guy has done to date is hit 34 homers (4^th in the league) and drive in close to 100 runs, post the fourth best OPS in the AL and the third best slugging percentage. As the DH. Oh, and he moonlights on the mound, where he’s gone 14-8 so far, and posted the fourth best ERA (2.47) in the league He’s in the top 10 in the AL in strikeouts and WHIP, too.

There are no words. This. Just. Doesn’t. Happen. But it has. Hopefully you’ve been a witness.

If you live in the middle of the country, you’ve probably heard that the St. Louis Cardinals have an older veteran named Albert Pujols who has defied all the odds, found the Fountain of Youth and inexplicably reached 700 career home runs. He’s just the fourth guy ever to do that. Playing in the age of strict drug testing and punishment, it’s fair to say that Pujols has accomplished this amazing 20-year feat “clean,” which makes it all the more special.

Hopefully you’ve been a witness.

And unless you live under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly seen and heard about the exploits of the New York Yankees Aaron Judge, who has reached 61 homers for the season, tying Roger Maris’ all time American League record for HR’s in a single season. Some say this is much ado about nothing since it’s not the all-time record being challenged. But again, there’s never been a hint of Judge using any substances he shouldn’t be using, which is not something you can say about the other three guys who’ve overtaken Maris in the past two decades.

Judge is not only ready to eclipse AL single season HR record, but he’s also got a great chance to win the old-fashioned Triple Crown, by leading the league in not only homers, but also batting average and RBI’s. Amazing.

If you’re an American League MVP voter, and you have to choose between Judge and Ohtani, best of luck to you.

One thing Ohtani won’t be winning is the AL Cy Young Award. That will likely go to another age-defying veteran, 39-year-old Houston ace Justin Verlander. He currently leads the AL in wins (17) and ERA (1.82) after missing last season following elbow surgery. Lost amongst all the other individual greatness is just how incredible Verlander’s comeback season has been. He missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. It’s astonishing.

Again, it’s easy to be cynical and dismissive. But what these players have accomplished this season – without a hint of illegality or PED use – is to be celebrated. And we get to watch Judge, Pujols, Verlander and others compete in what promises to be another amazing postseason.

Hopefully, you’ll be a witness.