Aaron Judge Says He's 'Not Paid Enough' to Worry About MVP Race After Hot Start

New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge has been on a tear through the first two months of the 2017 season, but he's not concerning himself with individual hardware just yet. 

"I want to get a World Series ring first. I'm not paid enough to worry about who's getting MVP right now," Judge said Tuesday, according to the New York Daily News' Mike Mazzeo. "Just trying to take it one day at a time and just keep winning ballgames."  

While Judge—who is making $544,500 this season, according to Spotrac—may be downplaying the importance of a possible MVP, he's firmly in the conversation based on the way he's produced to this point in the season. 

After Tuesday night's 8-3 win over the Baltimore Orioles, during which he went 2-for-4 with two RBI and a walk, Judge is slashing .323/.423/.689 with a 1.112 OPS. Judge has also mashed a MLB-best 17 home runs, which has helped him notch 2.5 wins above replacement. According to FanGraphs, the only American League player with a loftier number is Mike Trout (3.6). 

With Trout expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks following surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left thumb, Judge could make a legitimate run toward the prestigious honor. 

The 25-year-old will need to maintain a lofty standard of production to be named MVP, but all indications to this point suggest he should continue to mash the ball in concert with the Yankees' sudden resurgence. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless noted otherwise.