To no one’s surprise, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani were named the AL and NL MVPs on Thursday, each receiving 30 first-place votes.
He may not have broken his single-season home run record during his 2022 MVP season, but the New York Yankees captain was dominant once again to earn his second career nod as American League MVP. .
Judge beat out Juan Soto, with whom he hopes to play again in pinstripes in 2025, and Kansas City Royals phenom Bobby Witt Jr., who finished second with all 30 votes.
Judge led the league in homers for the third time in his career, posting league highs in WAR (10.8), RBIs (144), slugging percentage (.701), on-base percentage (.458) and OPS+ in 58 long ball starts. why (223).
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Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge (photo)
While Soto’s production helped the Yankees reach the World Series with Judge, Witt had a league-best .332 batting average, with 109 RBIs. Also hit 32 homers. Soto had 41 homers and 109 RBI.
Judge’s postseason production was very different, but it’s a regular season award.
Despite the Yankees reaching the World Series, the slugger had trouble finding a rhythm. He slashed .184/.344/.408 with three homers and nine RBIs in 14 games.
New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge reacts after hitting a grand slam off Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Cam Boozer during the seventh inning of a game on Sept. 13, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
Ohtani signed a record-breaking $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the offseason and underwent elbow surgery before the start of the 2024 campaign, keeping him off the mound for the entire season. At the start of the season, he found himself involved in a gambling scandal in which his translator had smuggled millions of rupees from him to pay off betting debts. It was eventually determined that Ohtani did not know about the gambling and did not place the bet himself.
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Fans wondered if he would be able to have a solid MVP-type season as a DH.
The Dodgers superstar became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a single season. The home run ball that made history sold for a record $4.39 million. His 134 runs scored and 411 total bases were the most in the majors, and he led the National League in home runs (54), RBIs (130), on-base percentage (.390), slugging percentage (646) and 9.2 ERA. of bWAR
His .310 average in the NL was behind only Luis Arráez’s .314, and his 59 stolen bases trailed only Elly De La Cruz, who turned in five more bags.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hits a grand slam during the ninth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 23, 2024, in Los Angeles. Celebrating later. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Ohtani won the AL MVP as a member of the Crosstown Angels in 2021 and 2023 while finishing second to Judge in 2022. The Yankees outfielder hit 62 home runs that season, setting a new American League record. Francisco Lindor and Ketel Marte finished second and third respectively.
Ohtani became the 12th player to win the MVP award three times.
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It’s safe to say the deal is off to a good start.
Judge and Ohtani faced off in the World Series, and Ohtani took home his first World Series title. It was the first time the two eventual MVPs faced off in the World Series since 2012, when Buster Posey’s Giants defeated Miguel Cabrera and the Tigers.
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