Shohei Ohtani Dropped Classy Quote on Aaron Judge Ahead of World Series Showdown

The New York Yankees are set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday in a star-studded matchup between the two storied MLB franchises.

One of the biggest storylines of the highly anticipated Fall Classic will be which star from which team can take control of the series—will it be Dodgers phenom Shohei Ohtani, Yankees slugger Aaron Judge or perhaps someone else?

Ahead of Game 1 of the World Series at Dodgers Stadium, Ohtani saved a few complimentary words for Judge in an interview with Fox’s Kevin Burkhardt.

“When you look at Aaron, what stands out for you?” Burkhardt asked Ohtani.

“As a baseball fan, I’m happy to see such a great player on a great team like the Yankees,” Ohtani responded. “It’s a real treat to see him perform so well year after year.”

"Many fans tell me that they came all the way from Japan to see me. That's the real blessing, so I want to show them my best."

From the excitement of playing in the WS, to being a global icon, @Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani joined @KevinBurkhardt to discuss his first year with LA. pic.twitter.com/UJ7ddVEcwC
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 25, 2024

Judge similarly praised Ohtani ahead of the Yankees-Dodgers clash, calling the Dodgers two-way star “an impressive athlete” as well as “the best player in the game.”

Judge and Ohtani each topped 50 home runs during the regular season, with Judge pacing the majors with 58 while Ohtani’s 54 homers led the National League. This marks the Yankees' first World Series berth since 2009, and Ohtani’s first World Series in the first MLB playoff run of his career.

All eyes will be on both stars ahead of Friday night’s matchup, in which Yankees’ Gerrit Cole is set to take the mound against Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty.