MLB announced Thursday that Aaron Judge, the center fielder for the New York Yankees, and Shohei Ohtani, the designated hitter for the Los Angeles Dodgers, had been awarded the National League and American League MVPs, respectively.
Ohtani, 30, was the 2021 and 2023 AL MVP winner. He led the NL in the latter two categories with a.310 batting average, 54 home runs, and 130 RBI in his debut season with the Dodgers. Ohtani finished second in hits and first in OPS for the league.
Ohtani was the first big leaguer to ever record at least 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. He also stole 59 bases, which was second among all players, in addition to his skill at the plate.
After spending the first six years of his Major League Baseball career with the Los Angeles Angels, Ohtani inked a 10-year, $700 million contract with Los Angeles prior to the 2024 season. Before moving to the US, Ohtani spent five seasons as a professional athlete in Japan.
Ohtani was instrumental in the Dodgers’ march to the World Series after helping them finish with the best regular-season record in Major League Baseball. Ohtani, a starting pitcher and two-way standout, missed this season’s games for Los Angeles due to Tommy John surgery in September 2023.
Judge previously won MVP in 2022 after his Yankees lost to the Dodgers in five games at the World Series. Last season, Judge led New York with a.322 batting average, 58 home runs, and 144 RBI.
He finished third in batting average and led the AL in OPS, home runs, and RBI.
In 2016, the 32-year-old Judge made his professional debut with the Yankees. Two of the last three seasons have seen him smash at least 50 home runs, including 62 in 2022.In December of that year, Judge agreed to a nine-year, $360 million contract with New York.
With 94 victories, the Yankees, under Judge’s leadership, took first place in the AL. In 2024, they made their first World Series appearance since 2009.
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