NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 25: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees celebrates with his teammates in the dugout after his first inning two run home run against the Colorado Rockies at Yankee Stadium on August 25, 2024 in New York City. The home …
NEW YORK - New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge was a unanimous pick to win his second American League Most Valuable Player Award in three seasons on Thursday, easily outdistancing Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr.
Shohei Ohtani was expected to win the National League honor later Thursday, his third MVP and first in the NL.
Judge received all 30 first-place votes in voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Witt got all 30 second-place votes for 270 points, and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto was third with 21 third-place votes and 229 points.
Judge had discussed the MVP award with Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper, the NL winner in 2015 and ’21.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 21: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees hits a 3-run home run during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Yankee Stadium on July 21, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
"I was telling him, `Man, I’m going to try to catch up to you with these MVPs here, man,’" Judge recalled. "He’d say, hopefully, he could stay a couple ahead of me, which I think he’ll do."
Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers, 144 RBIs and 133 walks while hitting .322. Witt topped the big leagues with a .332 average, hitting 32 homers with 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs.
When Judge won his first MVP award in 2022, he received 28 first-place votes while Ohtani got the other two. He is the Yankees' 22nd MVP winner, four more than any other team.
Judge was hitting .207 with six homers and 18 RBIs through April, then batted .352 with 52 homers and 126 RBIs in 127 games.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 30: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run during the first inning of Game Five of the 2024 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Yankee Stadium on October 30, …
"March and April were not my friend this year." Judge said. "Just keep putting in the work and things are going to change. You can’t mope. You can’t feel sorry for yourself. Especially in New York, nobody’s going to feel sorry for you. So you just got to go out there and put up the numbers?"
Ohtani was unanimously voted the AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way star for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. He didn’t pitch in 2024 following elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers last December.
Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs exclusively as a designated hitter, becoming the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. He helped the Dodgers to the World Series title, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Ohtani would become the first primary DH to win an MVP. He would join Frank Robinson for Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966 as the only players to win the MVP award in both leagues.
Ohtani would become the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven) and Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols and Mike Trout (three each).
New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte also were among the top three finishers in the NL. Lindor batted .273 with 33 homers, 91 RBIs and 29 steals, while Marte hit .292 with 36 homers and 95 RBIs.
Balloting was conducted before the postseason.