It¡¯s unanimous: Judge joins exalted company with 2nd MVP Award
Captain joins DiMaggio, Berra, Mantle, Maris and Rodriguez in garnering multiple honors; Soto finishes third
Bryan Hoch
@BryanHochNEW YORK -- There were some who wondered if we might ever see a better Aaron Judge season than his terrific and memorable 2022 MVP campaign, during which he eclipsed Roger Maris¡¯ 61-year-old single-season American League home run record while seemingly singlehandedly powering his Yankees into the postseason.
Then came the captain¡¯s impressive 2024 performance. Instead of grainy black-and-white replays of Maris¡¯ home runs, there was crystal-clear high-definition video of Judge and teammate Juan Soto -- arguably the league¡¯s most lethal one-two offensive punch in recent memory -- performing their ¡°Kings of New York¡± handshake at home plate.
Many of Judge¡¯s Major League-leading 58 homers led to cries of ¡°M-V-P!¡± from adoring crowds, both home and road. That manifested on Thursday, when Judge won his second BBWAA American League Most Valuable Player Award, as announced on MLB Network.
¡°I appreciate all the votes, all the support,¡± Judge said. ¡°I honestly wouldn¡¯t be in this position without my teammates, all the coaching we had this year. It¡¯s such a blessing. I¡¯ve got to thank God every day for this opportunity to be here, to wear pinstripes and do it in New York.¡±
Judge received all 30 first-place votes, with the Royals¡¯ Bobby Witt Jr. (30 second-place votes) finishing ahead of Soto. Since the Baseball Writers' Association of America began casting votes in 1931, Judge is the seventh Yankee to win multiple MVP Awards, joining Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Maris and Alex Rodriguez.
The honor figures to be bittersweet for Judge, however, as he struggled in the postseason and committed a costly error in the decisive World Series Game 5 against the Dodgers. Judge said that falling short in the Fall Classic would ¡°stay with me until I die,¡± as he has long valued team accomplishments above individual performances. But he was appreciative of the award.
¡°It means a lot, a lot of the hard work in the offseason, during the season, the ups and downs throughout it,¡± Judge said. ¡°Just the constant support from my teammates, the fans in New York, just everybody to help me get to this spot.¡±
Looking at Judge¡¯s impressive .322/.458/.701 slash line, it is difficult to believe that his season got off to a slow start; he was batting .197 as late as May 2 as questions swirled. The Yankees didn¡¯t seem concerned, with manager Aaron Boone remarking that Judge would soon catch fire.
Did he ever. Judge went on to lead the Majors in homers, RBIs (144), on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS (1.159), walks (133), times on base (322), game-winning RBIs (24) and position player fWAR (11.2). He also became the fastest to reach 300 homers in terms of at-bats and games played.
¡°I want to congratulate Aaron on earning this distinguished honor, and I couldn¡¯t be happier for such an amazing person and leader,¡± Boone said in a statement. ¡°After having a front-row seat for his 2022 MVP performance, I really couldn¡¯t envision a player having a better and more complete baseball season. But that¡¯s exactly what he accomplished in 2024.
¡°I¡¯m beyond fortunate to be able to manage Aaron, and I look forward to watching him further cement his legacy as one of this generation¡¯s greatest players.¡±
As Giancarlo Stanton remarked late in the season, it seemed at times as though Judge was ¡°out there playing video games while all of us are out there working."
Comparing this year¡¯s MVP campaign with his first, in ¡¯22, his batting average was 11 points higher, his on-base percentage was 33 points higher, and his slugging percentage was 15 points higher -- all done while absorbing the increased wear and tear of playing center field regularly (105 games) to accommodate Soto¡¯s arrival.
¡°March and April were not my friend this year,¡± Judge said. ¡°It¡¯s just a testament to [the fact that] it¡¯s a long season. You¡¯re going to go through some ups and downs. It¡¯s just about leaning on your teammates, on your family. Just put in the work and things are going to change. You can¡¯t mope, you can¡¯t feel sorry for yourself.¡±
Judge has expressed awe at the hallowed statistical company he now keeps. For example, only he, Babe Ruth, Gehrig and Mantle have led the league in homers at least three times. Those names are littered throughout the paragraphs detailing his success; already his place in Monument Park seems all but reserved.
Yet unlike in ¡¯22, when he was asked how he might muster an encore, the ¡¯24 showing provides an answer -- had his ¡¯23 season not been interrupted by injury, he might be celebrating a third straight MVP.
This may be considered the baseline performance expected of Judge moving forward, setting this ultimatum: Now it must translate into a World Series championship.
¡°You¡¯ve got to put in the work, continue to make changes, you¡¯ve got to continue to try to improve yourself until they rip this jersey off of you,¡± Judge said.