The 2024 American League MVP and National League MVP Awards were presented on Thursday, and just like the Cy Young Awards presented on Wednesday, the winners were an absolute slam dunk. Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of Oshu, Japan won the National League honour, and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge of Linden, California won the American League honour. Ohtani previously won the American League MVP award with the Los Angeles Angels in 2021 and 2023. Judge previously won the American League MVP award with the Yankees in 2022.
Aaron Judge in 2024
Judge led Major League Baseball with 58 home runs, 144 runs batted in, 133 walks, an on base percentage of .458, and a slugging percentage of .701. He also led the American League with 392 total bases. Judge scored 122 runs, and had 180 hits, 36 doubles, one triple, 10 stolen bases, a batting average of .322 and two sacrifice flies. The triple came in a 9-5 Yankees win over the Minnesota Twins on June 5. The sacrifice flies came in a 4-3 Yankees win over the Houston Astros on March 31, and in an 8-0 Yankees win over the San Diego Padres on May 24.
Judge is the seventh Yankees player to win the American League MVP award more than once. He follows first baseman Lou Gehrig of Yorkville, New York (1927 and 1936), center fielder Joe DiMaggio of Martinez, California (1939, 1941, and 1947), catcher Yogi Berra of St. Louis, Missouri (1951, 1954 and 1955), center fielder Mickey Mantle of Spavinaw, Oklahoma (1956, 1957, and 1962), right fielder Roger Maris of Hibbing, Minnesota (1960 and 1961), and third baseman Alex Rodriguez of New York, New York (2005 and 2007).
Shohei Ohtani in 2024
Ohtani became the first full-time designated hitter to be named the MVP, and the second player to win the MVP Award in each league. Outfielder Frank Robinson of Beaumont, Texas received the honour while with Cincinnati Reds in 1961 and the Baltimore Orioles in 1966.
In 2024, Ohtani led Major League Baseball with 134 runs scored and 411 total bases. He also led the National League with 54 home runs and 130 runs batted in, an on base percentage of .390, and a slugging percentage of .646. Ohtani also had 197 hits, 38 doubles, seven triples. 59 stolen bases, 81 walks, a batting average of .310, and five sacrific flies. Ohtani was the first player ever to have 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season.
Ohtani is the 11th Dodgers player to be named National League MVP. He follows first baseman Dolph Camilli of San Francisco, California (1941), Jackie Robinson of Cairo, Georgia (1949), catcher Roy Campanella of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1951, 1953 and 1955), pitcher Don Newcombe of Madison, New Jersey (1956), shortstop Maury Wills of Washington, District of Columbia (1962), pitcher Sandy Koufax of Brooklyn, New York (1963), first baseman Steve Garvey of Tampa, Florida (1974), outfielder Kirk Gibson of Pontiac, Michigan (1988), pitcher Clayton Kershaw of Dallas, Texas (2014), and outfielder Cody Bellinger of Scottsdale, Arizona (2019).
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