Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani is a finalist for his first National League MVP award after winning the American League MVP twice. He is joined in the top three for NL voting by New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte.
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is a finalist for his second AL MVP in three years. He is joined by Kansas City shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. and Yankees outfielder Juan Soto.
Ohtani was unanimously voted AL MVP in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way player for the Los Angeles Angels and finished second to Judge in 2022. He didn’t pitch in 2024 after having elbow surgery and signed a record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers.
If Ohtani wins, he would join Frank Robinson (who won MVPs with Cincinnati in 1961 and Baltimore in 1966) as the only players to win MVPs in both leagues.
Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes is a finalist for both the NL Cy Young Award and NL Rookie of the Year.
The 22-year-old right-hander is the fifth rookie to finish among the top three in Cy Young voting, joining Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Dwight Gooden (1984), and José Fernández (2013). Valenzuela is the only rookie to win both Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in the same season.
Ohtani hit .310, stole 59 bases, and led the NL with 54 home runs and 130 RBIs as a designated hitter. He also became the first player in history to have 50 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. Ohtani helped the Dodgers win the World Series, despite playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
Ohtani would also be the first primary designated hitter to win an MVP award.
The top three finishers in each major individual award, as voted on by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, were announced on Monday night on MLB Network. The winners will be revealed next week. Voting is done before the postseason.
If Ohtani wins, he will become the 12th player with three or more MVPs, joining Barry Bonds (seven), Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, Roy Campanella, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Alex Rodriguez, Albert Pujols, and Mike Trout (each with three MVPs).
Lindor batted .273 with 33 home runs, 91 RBIs, and 29 steals, while Marte hit .292 with 36 home runs and 95 RBIs.
Judge led all of Major League Baseball with 58 home runs, 144 RBIs, 133 walks, and a .322 average. Witt finished the season with a .332 batting average, 32 home runs, and 109 RBIs. Soto hit .288 with 41 home runs and 109 RBIs.
Atlanta’s Chris Sale and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler are the other finalists for the NL Cy Young Award along with Skenes. Skenes, who made his big league debut on May 11, went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts, striking out 170 batters in 133 innings.
For the AL Cy Young Award, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Kansas City’s Seth Lugo, and Cleveland closer Emmanuel Clase are the finalists. Clase is the first reliever to finish in the top three since Trevor Hoffman came in second in the 2006 NL balloting.
Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill and Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio join Skenes as finalists for NL Rookie of the Year. Yankees right-hander Luis Gil and catcher Austin Wells are AL finalists, along with Baltimore outfielder Colton Cowser.
Cleveland’s Stephen Vogt, Kansas City’s Matt Quatraro, and Detroit’s A.J. Hinch are the finalists for AL Manager of the Year. The three NL finalists are all first-year managers with their teams: Carlos Mendoza of the Mets, Pat Murphy of Milwaukee, and Mike Shildt of San Diego.
