Aaron Judge wins 2024 American League MVP Award |
Judge, who also won this award in 2022, is the 17th multiple winner in the American League. He joins a list that features three-time winners Jimmie Foxx (1932-33, 1938), Joe DiMaggio (1939, 1941, 1947), Yogi Berra (1951, 1954-55), Mickey Mantle (1956-57, 1962), Alex Rodriguez (2003, 2005, 2007) and Mike Trout (2014, 2016, 2019) and fellow two-time winners Hank Greenberg (1935, 1940), Hal Newhouser (1944-45), Ted Williams (1946, 1949), Roger Maris (1960-61), Robin Yount (1982, 1989), Cal Ripken Jr. (1983, 1991), Frank Thomas (1993-94), Juan Gonzalez (1996, 1998), Miguel Cabrera (2012-13) and Shohei Ohtani (2021, 2023).
This marks the 22nd time that a Yankees player has been honored, the most MVP Awards overall for one club in BBWAA voting dating to 1931. The St. Louis Cardinals are second with 18, the most in the National League. Judge joins three-time winners DiMaggio (1939, 1941, 1947), Berra (1951, 1954-55) and Mantle (1956-57, 1962); fellow two-time winners Maris (1960-61) and Rodriguez (2005, 2007) as well as Lou Gehrig (1936), Joe Gordon (1942), Spud Chandler (1943), Phil Rizzuto (1950), Elston Howard (1963), Thurman Munson (1976) and Don Mattingly (1985). It is the first time in AL MVP voting that the winner received all the first-place votes and the runner-up got all the second-place votes. This has happened only once before in BBWAA MVP balloting. That was last year in the National League with winner Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves receiving all 30 first-place votes and runner-up Mookie Betts of the Los Angeles Dodgers getting all 30 second-place votes. Judge’s victory is the14th for a center fielder in the AL. He also played there in most of his games in 2022. Judge is on the list with three-time winners DiMaggio, Mantle and Trout along with Yount, Fred Lynn (1975) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1997). Yount was a shortstop when he won his first MVP Award in 1982. His team, the Milwaukee Brewers, moved to the NL in 1998. Center fielders have won the award in the NL six times – twice apiece by Willie Mays (1954, 1965) and Dale Murphy (1982-83) and once each by Willie McGee (1985) and Andrew McCutchen (2013). Witt’s runner-up finish was the highest by a Royals player since 1985 when George Brett ran second to Mattingly. Kansas City had runners-up in three consecutive elections – John Mayberry in 1975, Brett in 1976 and Al Cowens in 1977. Brett is the only Royals player to have won the award, in 1980. Judge, Witt, Soto, Henderson and Ramirez were named on every ballot. Previous winners (+ - Unanimous): 2023 +Shohei Ohtani, Angels; 2022 Aaron Judge, Yankees; 2021 +Shohei Ohtani, Angels. 2020 José Abreu, White Sox; 2019 Mike Trout, Angels; 2018 Mookie Betts, Red Sox; 2017 Jose Altuve, Astros; 2016 Mike Trout, Angels; 2015 Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays; 2014 +Mike Trout, Angels; 2013 Miguel Cabrera, Tigers; 2012 Miguel Cabrera, Tigers; 2011 Justin Verlander, Tigers; 2010 Josh Hamilton, Rangers; 2009 Joe Mauer, Twins; 2008 Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox; 2007 Alex Rodriguez, Yankees; 2006 Justin Morneau, Twins; 2005 Alex Rodriguez, Yankees; 2004 Vladimir Guerrero, Angels; 2003 Alex Rodriguez, Rangers; 2002 Miguel Tejada, Athletics; 2001 Ichiro Suzuki, Mariners; 2000 Jason Giambi, Athletics; 1999 Ivan Rodriguez, Rangers; 1998 Juan Gonzalez, Rangers; 1997 +Ken Griffey Jr., Mariners; 1996 Juan Gonzalez, Rangers; 1995 Mo Vaughn, Red Sox; 1994 Frank Thomas, White Sox; 1993 +Frank Thomas, White Sox; 1992 Dennis Eckersley, Athletics; 1991 Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles; 1990 Rickey Henderson, Athletics; 1989 Robin Yount, Brewers; 1988 +Jose Canseco, Athletics; 1987 George Bell, Blue Jays; 1986 Roger Clemens, Red Sox; 1985 Don Mattingly, Yankees; 1984 Guillermo (Willie) Hernandez, Tigers; 1983 Cal Ripken Jr., Orioles; 1982 Robin Yount, Brewers; 1981 Rollie Fingers, Brewers; 1980 George Brett, Royals; 1979 Don Baylor, Angels; 1978 Jim Rice, Red Sox; 1977 Rod Carew, Twins; 1976 Thurman Munson, Yankees; 1975 Fred Lynn, Red Sox; 1974 Jeff Burroughs, Rangers; 1973 +Reggie Jackson, Athletics; 1972 Dick Allen, White Sox; 1971 Vida Blue, Athletics; 1970 Boog Powell, Orioles; 1969 Harmon Killebrew, Twins; 1968 +Denny McLain, Tigers; 1967 Carl Yastrzemski, Red Sox; 1966 +Frank Robinson, Orioles; 1965 Zoilo Versalles, Twins; 1964 Brooks Robinson, Orioles; 1963 Elston Howard, Yankees; 1962 Mickey Mantle, Yankees; 1961 Roger Maris, Yankees; 1960 Roger Maris, Yankees; 1959 Nellie Fox, White Sox; 1958 Jackie Jensen, Red Sox; 1957 Mickey Mantle, Yankees; 1956 +Mickey Mantle, Yankees; 1955 Yogi Berra, Yankees; 1954 Yogi Berra, Yankees; 1953 +Al Rosen, Indians; 1952 Bobby Shantz, Athletics; 1951 Yogi Berra, Yankees; 1950 Phil Rizzuto, Yankees; 1949 Ted Williams, Red Sox; 1948 Lou Boudreau, Indians; 1947 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees; 1946 Ted Williams, Red Sox; 1945 Hal Newhouser, Tigers; 1944 Hal Newhouser, Tigers; 1943 Spud Chandler, Yankees; 1942 Joe Gordon, Yankees; 1941 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees; 1940 Hank Greenberg, Tigers; 1939 Joe DiMaggio, Yankees; 1938 Jimmie Foxx, Red Sox; 1937 Charlie Gehringer, Tigers; 1936 Lou Gehrig, Yankees; 1935 +Hank Greenberg, Tigers; 1934 Mickey Cochrane, Tigers; 1933 Jimmie Foxx, Athletics; 1932 Jimmie Foxx, Athletics; 1931 Lefty Grove, Athletics.
