Yankees’ Aaron Judge wins second AL MVP Award after historic 2024 season

For the 2nd clip successful 3 years, Aaron Judge turned a historical play into an MVP trophy.

The Yankees skipper was named the 2024 AL MVP connected Thursday, an expected effect aft helium led the majors successful astir each large violative category.

Judge received 30 of the 30 first-place votes, with Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. placing second, and Yankee teammate Juan Soto finishing third.

The 32-year-old Judge led MLB hitters with 58 location runs, 144 RBI, 133 walks, a .458 on-base percentage, a .701 slugging percent and a 1.159 OPS.

His .322 mean ranked 3rd successful the majors and was lone 10 points down Witt’s MLB-leading .332 mark.

And Judge did it portion chiefly playing halfway field, 1 of baseball’s astir demanding antiaircraft positions, wherever helium moved this play to accommodate the accomplishment of Soto successful close field.

“It’s brainsick to spot a feline deed a homer time aft day,” Soto said of Judge successful August. “It’s incredible. I’ve ne'er seen idiosyncratic deed truthful galore homers truthful consistently.”

Judge became the archetypal subordinate to grounds astatine slightest 140 RBI successful a play since 2009, portion his 1.159 OPS was the highest by a halfway fielder since Mickey Mantle posted a 1.177 OPS successful 1957.

His prolific accumulation helped pb the Yankees to an AL East rubric and a league-best 94-68 record.

“There’s a fistful of players retired determination that are evidently having tremendous seasons, and you benignant of enactment his worldly up adjacent to it and it inactive benignant of dwarfs it,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said successful September.

This is the 2nd MVP Award for Judge, who won the grant successful 2022 aft hitting an AL single-season grounds 62 location runs.

Judge finished arsenic the AL MVP runner-up successful 2017 aft hitting 52 location runs arsenic a rookie. The MVP that twelvemonth went to Houston Astros 2nd baseman Jose Altuve.

With Thursday’s award, Judge became the seventh subordinate to triumph 2 MVPs with the Yankees, joining Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mantle, Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez.

Judge, the Yankees’ No. 3 hitter this year, benefited from hitting down Soto, who struck a career-high 41 location runs and recorded 109 RBI successful his archetypal — and perchance lone — play successful pinstripes.

Acquired successful a blockbuster commercialized with the San Diego Padres past December, Soto batted .288 and ranked 2nd successful the AL with a .419 on-base percent and a .988 OPS. Soto, 26, is now a escaped agent who is expected to bid a record-setting contract.

The 24-year-old Witt, meanwhile, delivered a breakout run for the Royals successful his 3rd MLB season, starring the majors with 211 hits portion signaling 32 location runs, 109 RBI, 31 stolen bases and a .977 OPS to spell on with his batting title.

Witt helped elevate the Royals from a 56-win play successful 2023 to an 86-76 grounds and a wild-card berth this year.

Judge was named MVP 3 days aft teammate Luis Gil won AL Rookie of the Year honors. The right-handed Gil went 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA and 171 strikeouts successful 151.2 innings this season.