Aaron Judge surely believes his finger still needs a ring, but he won’t go home empty-handed after a brilliant if ultimately disappointing 2024 season.
The Yankees captain won his second American League MVP Award in three seasons, unanimously besting the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. and 2024 teammate Juan Soto in voting that was announced Thursday night.
Judge received all 30 first-place votes — becoming the second unanimous winner in Yankees history, along with Mickey Mantle in 1956 — and Witt received all 30 second-place votes. Soto edged out the Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson for third place.
After setting the franchise home run mark two seasons ago, Judge made further history in becoming just the seventh Yankee to win multiple MVPs. He now stands with Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and Alex Rodriguez.
The award was deserved after threatening his own home run record and finishing with 58, which led the major leagues (as did his 1.159 OPS, 144 RBIs and 133 walks, among many other categories).
Aaron Judge wins the 2024 AL MVP.Robert Sabo for NY Post
“I honestly would not be in this position without my teammates, all the coaching we had this year, it’s such a blessing,” Judge said on MLB Network. “I have to thank God every day for the opportunity to be here and wear pinstripes and do it in New York.”
After a slow April, Judge stitched together one of the best May-through-September stretches the sport has ever seen.
From May 3 until the end of the regular season, he hit .357 with a .492 OBP and 52 home runs in 125 games.
Following such a brilliant 2022 season, Judge posted an all-around stronger year that included career highs in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, OPS, hits, doubles, RBIs, walks, times on base, total bases, extra-base hits and games played.
He became the fourth player in MLB history to stroke at least 58 homers in multiple seasons, joining Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire and Babe Ruth.
His OPS was the highest in a 162-game season since Barry Bonds’ 1.422 in 2004.
“I want to congratulate Aaron on earning this distinguished honor, and I couldn’t be happier for such an amazing person and leader,” Yankees manager Aaron 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.”
A dream season ended with a nightmare, though. Judge struggled in a postseason in which he struck out 20 times in 64 plate appearances.
Aaron Judge celebrates the Yankees winning the ALCS.Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
It was the failings of his glove that will be remembered most from October, his dropped fly ball in the fifth inning of the deciding Game 5 of the World Series helping open the door for the Dodgers to score five unearned runs.
“Didn’t go our way. Just hats off to a great Dodgers team,” Judge, who declined to speak with reporters, said on ESPN. “I think the experience, getting the chance to be there, getting a little taste of it [will help]. We’ve got a young team over here, and all these guys are hungry.”
Aaron Judge hit 58 home runs in the 2024 season.Robert Sabo for NY Post
The non-tender deadline arrives Friday, which will present the Yankees with questions.
The club will have to decide whether to offer a contract to arbitration-eligible players in Jon Berti, JT Brubaker, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Nestor Cortes, Scott Effross, Trent Grisham, Mark Leiter Jr., Tim Mayza, Clarke Schmidt and Jose Trevino.
Among the interesting calls are Mayza, who is due around $4 million, and Grisham, who could earn around $5 million-$6 million.
The Yankees hired Jarret DeHart, who was previously with the Martiners, as their director of hitting.
“Couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to wear the pinstripes!” DeHart tweeted.
A New Jersey native, DeHart was a hitting coach with Seattle from 2022 until Aug. 22 of this season, when he was fired along with manager Scott Servais.
Joe Migliaccio, who had been a Yankees hitting coordinator, left to become the Marlins’ director of hitting.
