Major League Baseball

Aaron Judge takes home run away from Shohei Ohtani, then hits one out himself

Updated Apr. 19, 2023 8:34 p.m. ET

From one MVP to another — take that!

Aaron Judge robbed Shohei Ohtani of a home run Wednesday night, leaping above the center-field fence at Yankee Stadium to keep the ball in the park before snatching it on the way down with his bare hand.

Yankees' Aaron Judge leaps to make an amazing catch to rob Shohei Ohtani of a home run

With one out in the top of the first inning, Ohtani sent a high fly to deep center against New York Yankees rookie pitcher Jhony Brito. The 6-foot-7 Judge went back to the wall and jumped, a little to the right of the 408-foot sign in front of Monument Park.

The ball hit the heel of Judge's glove well above the fence and caromed softly back toward the warning track. As he landed on his feet, Judge stuck out his right hand and made the catch — a snapshot play headed for the highlight reels in this three-game series featuring several of baseball’s biggest stars.

Last year's AL MVP paused a moment and smiled wide as he tossed the ball in.

To top it off, Judge launched a two-run shot into the left-center bullpen in the bottom of the first off Los Angeles Angels starter Griffin Canning for his sixth homer this season. The slugger hit 62 last year, breaking the American League record.

Aaron Judge CRUSHES a two-run homer to help the Yankees grab an early 2-0 lead over Angels

Aaron Judge's two-run homer in the first inning helped the New York Yankees grab a 2-0 lead over the Los Angeles Angels.

In the series opener Tuesday night, Ohtani hit a two-run homer into the Yankees' bullpen in right-center in the first inning, sending the Angels on their way to a 5-2 victory.

It was the fourth career home run at Yankee Stadium for Ohtani, the two-way superstar who won the 2021 AL MVP award before finishing runner-up to Judge last year.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

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