Shohei Ohtani is expected to win his third MVP award and his first in the National League, while Aaron Judge is likely to claim his second AL MVP when the Baseball Writers’ Association announces its results on Thursday.
Ohtani won the AL MVP unanimously in 2021 and 2023 as a two-way player for the Los Angeles Angels. He finished second to Judge in 2022 voting. After undergoing elbow surgery in 2024, Ohtani did not pitch but signed a historic 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December.
In 2024, Ohtani batted .310, stole 59 bases, and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs, playing solely as a designated hitter. He became the first player to hit 50 or more homers and steal 50 or more bases in a season. He also helped the Dodgers win the World Series, playing the final three games with a torn labrum in his left shoulder.
If Ohtani wins, he would be the first primary DH to earn the MVP award. He would also join Frank Robinson, who won MVPs in both leagues (1961 with Cincinnati and 1966 with Baltimore), as the only players to win MVP in both the AL and NL.
Ohtani would also become the 12th player to win three or more MVP awards, joining legends like 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).
In the NL, Francisco Lindor of the Mets and Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks were also among the top three MVP candidates. In the AL, Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals and Juan Soto of the Yankees joined Judge in the top rankings.
The voting took place before the postseason.
Judge led the majors with 58 homers, 144 RBIs, and 133 walks, while hitting .322. Witt had a .332 average, 32 homers, and 109 RBIs. Soto batted .288 with 41 homers and 109 RBIs.
